It’s the 2013 collection that has us all divided… The Rihanna for River Island range has landed and it seems everyone has got an opinion. The much anticipated collection was launched at London Fashion Week and received a negative reception from critics, including Tom Sykes of The Daily Beast calling the collection ‘A horror show,’ and ‘Slutty.’ You’ll be glad to hear that although we haven’t fallen head over heels in love for the racy collection, we still think that this collection does show some potential and features a few pieces that are worth noticing and that are sexy, fashionable and very Rihanna, which will make all you Rhi Rhi fans out there very happy indeed.
A respectable thing to note is the sheer amount of effort and input that the singer has in all of this behind the scenes. The singer said: “I designed every single piece in the collection so I could wear it,” and this is evidently showcased in the numerous pieces such as the body con dresses, chunky lacy high heeled boots, leather caps, straight maxi dresses and varsity jackets, which make the collection believable. With Rihanna already rocking her pieces and looking smoking in them, this gives us a little more faith in the styles. Celebrities like Rita Ora have been showing their excitement and appreciation for the collection already, by posting instagram photos of the Rihanna inspired pieces.
The range is reasonably priced and the pieces are versatile and wearable, however Rihanna may have played it a little too safe with certain styles, I mean, body con dresses and cami tees, not exactly ground breaking new ideas, take Kate Moss for Topshop, yes two people with very different styles, but the collection was forward thinking, creative and so freakin’ high fashion that gave Topshop buyers the wow factor.
Okay so what’s actually good about the collection? Despite the weak pieces, this collection contains flashes of excellent genuine spring/summer great fashion. The saving grace is definitely the 90s element, with this style being unashamedly bang on trend right now, we applaud Rihanna for this, for the collection is full of grunge, thigh-high slit dresses, tight sleeveless polo tops, zips, spaghetti straps and crop tops. The dominating colours are neon yellow and black. The Monochrome trend also makes an appearance as black and white loose shirts and skirts are teamed up with bold vertical strips and prints, ticking off two major looks this season. There is also a fair share of demin, with turned up washed out blue jeans taking centre stage.
So let’s just accept this collection for what it is, yes it’s predictable, yes in parts it may lack creativity and inspiration, but what it is, is a signature Rihanna inspired collection and for her first try, Rihanna has done a pretty decent job. We have a sneaky suspicion her Autumn Winter 2013 collection will be much better and stronger. The clothing line for the Spring Summer collection hits stores on 5th March.