Last week, Rihanna –singer,designer and beauty magnate – walked on to the stage at the Fashion Awards to accept an accolade for Urban Luxe, an acknowledgment of her wildly successful Fenty brand. But as she stood before thousands of people in a packed Royal Albert Hall, she may well have been the recipient of an additional prize: the title of honorary Brit.
Rihanna had just landed from a brief trip to Barbados, where she had posted a sultry portrait captioned ‘home’. She is beloved in the country – she was on hand in 2017 when they rechristened a street Rihanna Drive – but in the past year, England has become her second home, with sources telling Grazia that she believes it is the perfect place from which to build her future in business and love.
Earlier this year, the internet went wild with speculation when a social media post shared by Rihanna – filmed in a nondescript kitchen – clearly showed a Sainsbury’s ‘Bag for Life’ in the background. Not long after, the truth emerged: she was renting a £30 million mansion in St John’s Wood, a wealthy pocket of North West London.
Unlike LA or New York, where it is almost impossible to go shopping or to a restaurant without being mobbed by fans or paparazzi, Rihanna has been able to stay relatively incognito in London. ‘She immediately fell in love with how she was able to keep herself hidden in the city,’ a source explains. ‘She found that she could finally go about her everyday business while hiding in plain sight.
Rihanna is the first woman to create an original fashion brand at LVMH, and the Fenty Beauty business is now valued at more than £2.2 billion.
‘She eats out at local restaurants and visits shops in the area. People just don’t imagine that the woman in front of them at the supermarket could be one of the world’s most famous people, so she can come and go with ease.’ She shops at what she calls a ‘cute little Jamaican market’ near her house, pops into Boots (and, of course, Sainsbury’s), has been known to take the tube and has been seen at various venues, including Hackney gay pub The Queen Adelaide, Mayfair restaurant Park Chinois and Notting Hill members’ club Laylow.
The location of her home was a matter of practicality. 'Initially, her move was a logistical response to her working with French fashion house LVMH, which is based in Paris, as well as wanting to take time out of the spotlight,’ a source explains. It paid off. Rihanna is the first woman to create an original fashion brand at the house, and the Fenty Beauty business is now valued at more than £2.2 billion.
Beyond convenience, however, the city – and the anonymity that it has allowed her – has enabled Rihanna to nurture her relationship with Saudi Arabian billionaire Hassan Jameel, who also has a London base. ‘In many ways, Rihanna feels as though she has a love affair with the city because this is where her relationship with her boyfriend really blossomed,’ says a source. ‘London has been home to their most private moments as a couple that no one gets to see.’
The pair have gone from strength to strength since they were first photographed together in 2017. Earlier this year, Rihanna confirmed that she had been ‘in an exclusive relationship for quite some time’ and that things were ‘going really well’.
She has also revealed that she would like to have children. Might those children be Londoners? Never say never. ‘There has been talk of Rihanna making her life in London permanent,’ says a source. ‘She is on the lookout for the perfect property.’
We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled in Boots.
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