Pop/R&B artist Rihanna has taken on a new project and is entering into the sock business with Stance as their creative director. The artist signed a three year deal with the San Clemente, California based company and has even posed as an ambassador for the brand.
Rihanna features in a Stance campaign becoming one of the “Punks and Poets” among fellow artist Langley Fox Hemingway and former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson.
As far as her designs, Rihanna will be releasing two styles that she actually designed on the company’s website today, Wednesday July 15th. They will be limited edition designs featuring a crew sock which will come in both men’s and women’s for $30 and a over-the-knee style for women’s selling for $26. The fabric will be a combed cotton and the prints will be in red, white and black color and shades. The graphics featured are of newsprint typography and vintage movie art. Rihanna was sure to add her own little stamp on the design by adding part of her Instagram name, “Bad Gal”, all over the socks as well as her surname Fenty, seen in a Gothic font on the back of the crew sock.
The designs are very exciting, yet they will not be available for sale until fall.
The relationship with the company and Rihanna goes back to 2012 when the brand custom-made a pair of socks for her to wear on the Complex magazine cover shoot.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Stance for a long time and I am happy to be working with them on such a fun and creative project,” Rihanna tells WWD.
Rihanna adds this to the list of projects she has taken on, on top of being a popstar with recent hits like “Four Five Seconds” and “B—h Better Have My Money.” Currently she holds the title as global brand ambassador and women’s creative director for the brand Puma as well. In the past she has designed for retailers such as River Island and modeled for brands like MAC, Balmain and even Dior. She has also paved pathways for less known designers like Guo Pei when she gave his design red carpet spotlight by wearing his dramatic fur trimmed cape and gown to the Met Gala this year.
As for the company, which started its men’s business in 2010 and expanded in 2012 by adding their women’s division has been quickly growing. Since the addition, the women’s division makes up 20 to 25 percent of their total sales which makes sense why the company has added a woman to their team. Stance also offers kids’ socks and will be expanding to men’s underwear this fall. Rihanna’s thigh-high socks will also be a new addition in style for the company this September.
Senior vice president of Stance for their women’s division, Candy Harris shares working with Rihanna saying,
“She creatively pushes the boundaries in everything she does. It’s nice to work with out-of-the box ideas for our brand.”
Rihanna’s fall collection includes 18 different styles ranging from $18 to $28. In the past, Stance has been sold at retailers such as Colette, American Rag Cie, Nordstrom and Shopbop.com, but it is still not finalized what retailer will carry Rihanna’s designs in the fall.
Photo by Courtesy
Rihanna, who served as creative director of the fall campaign, will have a strong digital ad presence. She will also be coming out with a holiday collection, set to be released in November.
“There are very few women in fashion whose personal style can go from street to couture in a blink. She does it with such credibility and authenticity. It makes her an original,” says Harris.
Rihanna has been expanding her paths and showing off all her talents. Not only can she give a good tune, but has a good amount of creative energy becoming a real force in the fashion world.
