14 DAY TRIAL // Since she broke on the scene in 2005 and until 2012, Rihanna released new albums at the rate of one per year, so yes, her taking 3 years of “time off” and not putting out any new music must have been excruciating to her loyal fans.
That will change this year, when she will return with a new album, a new sound, and an even more fearless attitude - starting with her stunning spread in the March 2015 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, the US edition.
Taking fashion risks and risks for fashion
The shot took place in December, at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, and with the exception of a couple of shots, included real-life sharks: three sand tiger sharks, the magazine informs us. For the two shots of the star reclining in between the opening jaws of a shark, the mag used CGI.
To prove that the other sharks in the pics weren’t Photoshopped in, Harper’s Bazaar also released a video of Rihanna swimming with them. Experienced divers were also on hand to keep her safe: apparently, the sharks were accustomed to them in the tank.
The spread was shot by Norman Jean Roy and is perhaps his boldest and most dangerous yet. Apparently, Rihanna’s management wasn’t exactly thrilled when she agreed to do it on the spot, but they eventually came around.
In the accompanying interview, the star talks about fashion and leading an adventurous life, but also about her upcoming album and what it takes to make it in this cutthroat industry of showbiz. Yes, the spread is a metaphor for that because, in everyday life, Rihanna swims with the “sharks.”
Red carpets and personal style
In the years she’s been on the scene, Rihanna established herself as a fashion icon, in the sense that she can pull off almost any kind of outfit, even those that don’t even make sense in theory.
She tells Harper’s Bazaar that her favorite designers are Adam Selman and Stella McCartney, especially when they allow her to make a contribution to the outfits they create and she will wear. One of her favorite red carpet looks was the red Azzedine Alaïa she wore at the Grammys, she says.
Speaking of getting red carpet ready, Rihanna explains, “At times a lot of maintenance, and at times none. I have a job that requires quite a lot of glam, and I have a great team that helps me with that. But sometimes, like when I’m in the studio or on vacation, there’s little to no maintenance.”
She doesn’t like to follow fashion rules (which we already knew) and she likes to switch it up, fashion-wise.
Rihanna will perform her new song, “FourFiveSeconds,” with Kanye West and Sir Paul McCartney at the Grammys 2015 this Sunday, so expect her to walk (and kill it on) the red carpet as well.
