Fashion Friday: Icon, Risk Taker or Attention Seeker

By now the entire world or at least those with internet access have seen Rihanna's butt and boobs. Fashion rules are made to be broken, Rihanna told the crowd of fashion industry elite on Monday, June 2, 2014.  Her dress, a custom design by Adam Selman, dramatically conveyed that message: a sheer fishnet gown, sparkling with thousands of embedded crystals that left nothing underneath to the imagination.

The singer cemented her role as a fashion leader by accepting the 2014 Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her trophy was presented by Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, who said that with Rihanna, "the point is to be audacious, even jaw-dropping or button-pushing." Take a look at the empresses’ new clothes and decide for yourself.

Accepting the award, Rihanna spoke of her origins in Barbados where, "I didn't have a lot of access to fashion. Fashion has always been my defense mechanism. Even as a child, I used to think, she can beat me, but she can't beat my outfit. I can compensate for all my weaknesses with my fashion". She added, "There are rules, but rules are meant to be broken".

A nude lining under the dress, exactly like the thong underwear she wore would have added a certain level of class and sophistication to the dress. A nude lining would have made the dress timeless. A nude lining would have undoubtedly generated much less controversy. But isn’t generating controversy the point of many of today’s young celebrities? To remain relevant one much shelve their values, hide their morals and tuck away their dignity to remain on top. Controversy creates household names. Controversy cements fame. Rihanna’s island girl culture could be the reasoning behind why she and her team felt like public nudity was appropriate. To be clear I do like Rihanna’s bad girl, take no prisoners, and pull no punches style. However, at some point when the envelope is pushed to the cusp of fashion societal destruction, I must call foul!

My recommendation: Surround yourself with people who aren’t afraid to scream a resounding NO! We all need those people around us that will call us out when we start to lose sight of our values. Besides, it’s always nice to be considered a lady. There is nothing lady-like about showing your boobs and butt. 

Or could it be that I have it all wrong? Years from now will we hail Rihanna for her daring, unapologetic style and fashion just like we do Josephine Baker? History makers are never boring. In fact, they usually make it a point to provoke and inflame cringe-worthy reactions. Josephine Baker and Rihanna actually have quite a bit in common. 

They both are sexy dancers, singers and actresses known for pushing the envelope and captivating people’s attention with their exotic flare. Critics once admonished Josephine, yet decades later her impact on pop culture is certainly prevalent. Although the term twerking is fairly new, the act itself was perfected in a mesmerizing way that has yet to be duplicated! Not even Rihanna, Miley Cyrus or Beyonce have perfected the art of the vibrating, circular hip motion like Josephine did. 

Check out this video of one of Josephine Baker's performances. 

Josephine Baker's influence on pop culture is evident. Here, Beyonce emulated a costume design.

I don't have the answers to this one, (initially I thought I did). Maybe Rihanna knows something that I don't. Even though a nude lining under the dress would have added a certain level of class and sophistication to the dress, who says Rihanna wants to be classy or sophisticated? Either way people are talking about her. Remember, the key word to success in the world of Hollywood is always controversy.

I do not claim ownership to the above images.