Rihanna’s Fenty Has Reimagined The Cameo To Celebrate The ‘Beauty Of Difference’

Rihanna is building her own empire that, other than creating covetable products, is based on an inclusive idea of beauty. While it's regrettable that this is only happening now, in 2019, thank goodness for innovators like her who are working to create real change. For her latest Fenty launch, Rihanna has decided to reimagine an ancient piece of jewellery: the cameo.

Traditionally, cameos – made hugely popular in the UK by Queen Victoria but which have been in existence since Ancient times – were worn as a statement of power or intent. In Ancient Greece, for example, women wore cameos bearing the image of Eros, God of Love, to declare their sexuality. Fenty has taken this tradition and subverted it, making it part of the brand's 'legacy' while celebrating 'the beauty of difference.'

Each of the cameo jewels available to buy – a ring, a pair of earrings and a pendant which can also be worn as a brooch – features the image of a black woman, as Fenty states it is 'immortalizing the African woman’s beauty, in profile.' Each piece is intended to become a modern keepsake in its own right, realised in black resin and glass, embellished with pearls and Swarovski® crystals.

Fenty stated that 'the collection is not about a singular definition of beauty; she symbolizes the beauty of difference.' To illustrate this, there is a beautiful campaign shot by Nigerian photographer Ruth Ossai, while hair stylist Issac Poleon was tasked with creating some amazing, sculptural hair styles to highlight 'the endless artistic possibilities of afro-hair culture in sculpture.'

Fenty says that, with this new Cameo collection, it is 'honouring a new, contemporary heroine.' Luckily, we're starting to get to a stage where she looks like all of us – not just some.

Shop Fenty's Cameo Collection Here Now.

SEE: Rihanna's Latest Savage x Fenty Show