Smartly, Rihanna has made diversity a core part of her retail ventures. Her make-up brand, Fenty Beauty, includes foundation shades for albinos through the darkest skin tones, and its focus on inclusivity sent sales skyrocketing and inspired copycats. Rihanna’s approach to lingerie through Fenty X Savage is similar, with a website that features a panoply of sizes and ethnicities, and nude underwear for every skin tone. With its striking NYFW show, Fenty X Savage is saying to the lingerie industry what Fenty Beauty did to cosmetics: Inclusivity is in, and pairs nicely with profits.

Animal prints and satin featured heavily in the collection.
Animal prints and satin featured heavily in the collection.
Image: AP Photo/Diane Bondareff

Meanwhile, Victoria’s Secret’s is slowly losing its market power: Year-over-year sales declined 1% in the second quarter, its Pink division for teenagers is slumping, and shares of parent company L Brands fell to lows not seen since 2011 last month. By contrast, body-positive lingerie brands like Aerie are thriving. Fenty X Savage is now a major player in that game; backed by Rihanna’s star power, its inclusive philosophy is pushing Victoria’s Secret further out of the spotlight.

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.