You go, girl! Rihanna is out here again making history in all the right ways.
The Fenty Beauty founder posed on the May 2020 cover of British Vogue wearing a black durag. This marks the first time a cover star has worn this headpiece on the front of the fashion magazine. According to U.K. Vogue, “the tainted fabric has been reclaimed as a symbol of black beauty, a signifier of style worn on the streets, the catwalk, the red carpet … and now the cover of Vogue.”
Through the years, empowering and proud women of color have turned this accessory into a statement piece during major stylish events. Rihanna herself wore a crystal-embellished durag with her sheer Adam Selman gown at the 2014 CFDA awards and Solange Knowles paired one with her angelic headdress at the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” Met Gala.
However, it has yet to appear on the magazine’s cover — until now. The publication’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful writes about this landmark cover in the issue’s editor’s letter. “Did I ever think that I would see a durag on the cover of Vogue? No reader, I did not,” he writes. “Although this potent symbol of black life — of self-preservation, resistance and authenticity — has an important place in popular culture, it is rarely viewed through the prism of high fashion. Yet here we have the most aspirational and beautiful durag. How exciting.”
He also commented on the “Umbrella” singer’s Instagram post when she shared the cover on Monday, March 30. “Loved every minute. When you sent me the message ‘how about a durag on the cover’.. I knew this was going to be historical moment ❤️.”
The durag itself is a custom piece from Stephen Jones Millinery, while the rest of RiRi’s ensemble is all Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry. The look was styles by Enninful and the image shot by legendary photographer Steven Klein.
“Gang back in da Stu!!” she wrote in the caption alongside Monday’s post. “@Edward_Enninful and I are back at it again with @StevenKleinStudio for the May 2020 cover of @BritishVogue 🥰✊🏿 available Friday, April 3rd!”
This isn’t the first time Enninful has broken boundaries during his time as editor-in-chief of British Vogue. In 2019, he invited Meghan Markle, then the Duchess of Sussex, to guest edit the September issue, which featured 15 trailblazing women and a lot of freckles.
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