Rihanna covers the September issue of W magazine. None of the interview has leaked onto the internet (yet), but RiRi was very excited to post the shoot all over her Twitter account. Rihanna’s a major style icon, so she’s carrying the fall fashion cover on her own. I don’t know why her forehead is blue, but she’s wearing all sorts of crazy makeup in this shoot. Plus a ton of wild jewelry including a variety of septum rings. She does look fierce.
Rihanna did two editorials. One of them features Naomi Campbell and Iman. They’re all modelling for Balmain. This image would have made a fantastic cover.
I’ll get to the rest of the shoot in a minute, but I wanted to mention how RiRi’s currently on the joint Monster tour with Eminem. They played the Rose Bowl a few days ago for two nights. The reviews have been mixed. The LA Weekly critic really hated the show and calls out both Rihanna and Em for lipsynching on some tracks. It’s clear that the critic strongly dislikes Eminem on principle and made up his mind before the show began (pre-recorded lyrics or not). The review is super rude and nasty. In contrast, the LA Times loved the show. I’ve also seen many positive reactions on Twitter and Facebook. It sounds like a dream concert, honestly.
Now back to this W shoot. Rihanna wears Donna Karan and Alexander McQueen with loads of crazy jewelry and makeup. W told Us Weekly that Rihanna showed up to the shoot “with her own mental mood board, channeling the power of Grace Jones and the sophistication of Josephine Baker.” No one can ever accuse Rihanna of not being passionate about fashion. She wears everything with attitude. Michael K describes the below picture as “a deviantART picture based off some weird Twilight/True Blood crossover fan fiction.” That sounds about right. This shoot is like a fever dream.
Is Rihanna wearing real fur here? I think so.
Photos courtesy of W magazine
Yuck, I hate that shoot with all the fur and too try hard artsy. Rihanna has one of the most beautiful faces and bodies out there, but it all masked by repulsive crud. Where is the fashion I’m supposed to be looking at? I hate W.
The picture of Rihanna, Iman and Naomi is beautiful.
What is with all the fur this year?
That photo with Iman, Naomi and Rihanna is just stunning!
Yup, that’s all I got from this, too much gorgeous in one photo.
exactly! I don’t know why I’m slightly surprised that Rihanna can hold her own against these heavy weights. Beautiful.
Rhianna looks especially gorgeous in that photo. What a bunch of stunning women.
Three goddesses
Work it, Iman!
Rihanna is beautiful, she can stand between two of the most gorgeus women ever like no one else.
The shoot is too much for me.
Instead the Balmain dress…Kim K. wore a white version of those dresses: and she looked like a mess.
Fierce… I love all the pics, especially the two with Naomi and Iman.
I don’t want to say “meh”, but meh.
Rihanna is quite beautiful, but the Blade Runner type eye make-up colors used on her are both so-so (blue, red). The fur and the nose ring are cliches. She can look so beautiful without being so over-styled. I love the pics of all three models together, except too much fake hair on everyone these days!
I don’t like her style, but God Rihanna, Chanel Iman and of course Naomi are absolutely gorgeous.
That’s Iman, the Somalian supermodel, not Chanel Iman.
Oh, no. That’s not Chanel Iman… that’s THE Iman.
YAAASS!!
Chanel Iman is another model, Iman was one of the first succesful black models ever. THE Iman!
Edit: @Livealot, she kept her own name which is Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid.
Just so you know that’s not Chanel Iman. This is IMAN the original which I suppose her name is Iman Bowie (??) (Married to David Bowie).
I don’t like the W shoot, but the photo of the three women is gorgeous.
Not a fan of the fur styling…I am so onboard w/the pic of the three of them…wow. Also, THAT is how the Balmain dress is meant to be worn, Kim. Please burn yours.
The photo of the three women is spectacular.
I feel like this has been done before. The photo with the wolves reminds me of the American Museum of Natural History exhibits. Although all three women are beyond beautiful in the sitting photo together, the set-up is so suburban-photographer-standard-studio-pose cliche.
I do like the sixth photo extreme close-up. Rhianna really could be a model because she has an expressive face, along with her beauty, I think, anyway.
ETA: it looks like that photo was removed from the slideshow.
When I first saw the still of the cover, with the blue paint, I thought she was chanelling Avatar.
The Clan of The Cave Bear/Tribal/whatever part of the shoot is just sort of odd. But RiRi, Naomi and Iman is gorgeous. Even with RiRi and Naomi wearing what appear to be crocheted tops.
Not to be nasty: but did Rihanna change her nose?
She did not. It’s contouring and lighting.
But she did. Google it.
I’ve googled it before and I disagree.
Yes she had a nose job. She did it ages ago but she didn’t make any drastic changes where it would be easy to notice. She had her nose narrowed slightly.
The cover makes me nostalgic for “Hungry Like the Wolf” video.
They seem to have really lightened Naomi and Iman here..
The close-up picture with the three ladies is great – the rest a little ridiculous. I don’t understand the use of taking pictures of someone with a beautiful face when said face is hidden by heavy make-up and stupid fur. There is such a thing as enhancing the beauty of someone with make-up and by other means… and then there’s this.
I hate the group shot because Iman and Naomi looked photoshopped and their skin is lightened! Their complextion is not the same as Rihanna’s.
So I’m not the only one that thought their skin looked lighter…
I had the same thought – their skin tones are identical in that photo and they definitely are not in real life. FAIL. Whoever photo-shopped those iconic women should be called out big time!
HAPPENING!!!
I absolutely adore Iman. I sometimes watch HSN when she is on selling her stuff because she is just so incredibly nice to the customers and it is nice to see someone who genuinely seems to care about her customer like she does. She always looks impeccable.
Damn! How gorgeous are these ladies? That is a badass shoot
I don’t know how she does it, but whatever crap she wears she always owns it.
Not a fan of Rhianna calling it, “Eskimo Horror Cover Story”…it’s neither representative of the Inuit or is it acceptable to use the term “Eskimo”
She looks pretty…but pretty ignorant too.
When did using the term Eskimo become unacceptable? I must be ignorant as well because I missed the memo on that one. I’m seriously not trying to be rude here, I just had no idea Eskimo was now derogatory.
http://tulugaq.wordpress.com/inuit-vs-eskimo/
…I hope she’s referring to to Russian “Eskimos” which is acceptable to them.
I’m Canadian, so perhaps I’m more sensitive to that word…we were just taught to use Inuit.
I’m Canadian too, Amanduh. I’ve never heard that Eskimo was inappropriate.
Thanks for letting me know.
The photos are amazing. I always say this about Ri: She should have been a model instead of a singer.
YES!!!
Love the pics with Naomi and Iman, but the fur pic – ugh! You’re in America now. We don’t like fur – it’s barbaric and played.
I like the picture of the three but, Rhianna should be below the two. Just sayin.
+1
I love this photo shoot. I love the bold colors as well as the blue. I love the nose ring as well. Rhianna sure can pull some serious, high fashion “stunning – pose – face “. While I don’t agree some of Rhianna’s questionable behavior , but when the girl is done up, she’s gorge. Love Iman, gosh that woman is beautiful and spectacular. I specifically love the wolf pic with Rhianna. She looks wild and tribal. Very beautiful. As if she is not apart of society in some beautiful, unyielding way that sort of speaks to the strength of women. Am I gushing over Rhianna in these photos –yes. Don’t judge.
I don’t even care about Rihanna in this. All I can focus on is how amazing Iman looks. How old is she!?
Love the pic of the three women. They all look gorgeous.
Rihanna can pull off nearly anything with her beauty and attitude.
Love Iman and Naomi, as well.