The debut of Fenty Release 5-19 establishes the attitude, statement pieces, and materials of the Maison.

The launch project was photographed by British photographer Jack Davison. The first release highlights the work and message of photographer Kwame Brathwaite, a documentarian of the Black is Beautiful movement of the ’60s and ’70s. Coming from similar backgrounds, Brathwaite is also Bajan and shares a surname with Rihanna’s mother, Robyn, derived from her grandfather Lionel Brathwaite.

Tailoring is of central importance as suiting, dressing, and shirts fit close to the body and emphasized by details that span the feminine and the masculine. Elsewhere, Japanese denim is introduced as signature for the Maison, and is rendered in sharp corset-dresses, constructed, oversized jackets, and straight fit and pleated jeans. For accessories, Fenty establishes eyewear and shoes as a central focus; in its premiere style the sunglasses turn into masks with exaggerated volumes, while footwear is sharply pointed and seen in strong colors with exposing cutouts. Lastly, Fenty introduces its fashion jewelry line with a game-changing way of wearing ear jewels.

The Fenty Release 5-19 collection embraces the message of natural beauty and boundless strength evident in Brathwaite’s work. Rihanna creates an interesting dialogue between past and present by juxtaposing images from Brathwaite’s archive, in which he championed black women and men who refused to fit into society’s ideals of beauty.

The Fenty house is set to regularly release limited edition collections that follow different themes.