Rihanna’s New Empire & Dolce & Gabbana Woes

Barbadian singer and style icon Rihanna has trademarked her Fenty surname for use on an array of products, leading to speculation that she may be poised to launch a fashion and beauty empire onto the awaiting public. The trademarks extend to a wide range of products including clothing, swimwear, lingerie, cosmetics, skincare and computer software. Rihanna is no stranger to the world of fashion and beauty herself, with capsule collections for high-street chain River Island, a collaboration with MAC Cosmetics and her ongoing work as the face of fashion brand Balmain.

Celebrity news site PageSix has claimed that renowned Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana—better known as Dolce & Gabbana—threatened to pull millions of dollars in advertising from publisher Condé Nast over a story Vanity Fair has planned to run on their tax fraud conviction. The Italian duo were so incensed they allegedly called Condé Nast artistic director and Vogue editor Anna Wintour to persuade her to kill the feature. Advertising revenue from Dolce & Gabbana is thought to be worth an estimated $10 million to $20 million in Condé Nast's titles, which also include Allure, Details, Condé Nast Traveler and GQ. PageSix reported that Wintour declined their request, but as a gesture of appeasement flew to cover D&G’s luxurious Alta Moda show.

American actress Rosario Dawson has teamed up with her longtime friend Abrima Erwiah to launch Studio One Eighty Nine, an online platform dedicated to creatives who seek to promote African culture and create African-inspired content.