Savage X Fenty, Rihanna‘s wildly successful lingerie brand, will open brick-and-mortar stores in five cities: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Built on a direct-to-consumer business model, the label’s foray into IRL retail comes as a surprise, given the popularity of online shopping during the pandemic. But as other DTC mainstays such as Casper, Warby Parker, Allbirds, and fellow underwear player Parade turn their attention to brick-and-mortar, it seems Savage X Fenty is following suit.
The company’s choice in location is perhaps even more unexpected. Major hubs including New York, Miami, and Chicago are noticeably absent from its debut roster of cities.
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Savage X Fenty entered the proverbial chat in 2018, a critical moment for the lingerie industry. Sales at Victoria’s Secret — formerly the Goliath of underwear — had been faltering for a few years as it faced scandals and forward-thinking competitors like Aerie.
Cementing the beginning of the end for Victoria’s Secret, former marketing executive Ed Razek proclaimed — just months after Savage X Fenty held its first runway show extravaganza — that transgender and plus-size models aren’t a part of the Victoria’s Secret “fantasy.”
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With its expansive size range, diverse casting, and mercifully male gaze-free campaign imagery, Savage X Fenty helped fill a much-needed gap in the industry: a label that operates on empowerment, rather than the wildly unrealistic beauty standards peddled by Victoria’s Secret and its now-canceled Fashion Show.
It’s not farfetched to say that Savage X Fenty, now valued at $1 billion, revolutionized the lingerie industry in four short years.
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Official launch dates for the physical Savage X Fenty stores are TBD but, as Rih and her team wrote on Instagram, “Keep checkin’ back for all the details on the retails.”
