Heritage
A house, in its own words
Fenty Beauty was founded by Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty) on September 8, 2017, with operations based in San Francisco at 425 Market Street. The cosmetics brand launched later that same year with an inclusive approach to shade ranges that disrupted the beauty industry. LVMH, the French luxury conglomerate, provided significant investment and support to bring the brand to market, marking a notable departure from the conglomerate's typical acquisition strategy, as Fenty Beauty represented a collaborative venture rather than a traditional acquisition. Kendo Brands, a division of LVMH, served as the operational partner for the beauty line. The fragrance category did not launch until 2021, four years after the core beauty collection's debut, marking a deliberate expansion into a new product category. The brand's approach to fragrance development drew from Rihanna's personal memories and locations significant to her life, with the debut scent reportedly inspired by Bridgetown, Barbados; Grasse, France; and New York City. This geographic storytelling later manifested in an unconventional marketing campaign for the fragrance, where the brand created five ghost stores: online-only e-commerce platforms positioned on Google Maps in locations corresponding to the scent's inspirations. The fragrance line has since expanded beyond the original Eau de Parfum to include multiple scent variations, solid parfum formats, and mist concentrations, with releases spanning 2024 and 2025.
Rihanna approached the creation of the Fenty fragrance line with an emphasis on personal authenticity rather than adherence to industry convention. The debut fragrance was reportedly designed around memories and places that hold significance in her life, drawing from her Caribbean heritage, European influences, and her relationship with New York City, where she spent formative professional years. This narrative-driven approach positioned the fragrances as extensions of personal storytelling rather than mere luxury commodities. The broader Fenty Beauty philosophy centers on inclusion and representation, with the brand's original cosmetics launch explicitly designed to address gaps in shade ranges that had long excluded women with darker skin tones from mainstream beauty offerings. The fragrance expansion reportedly maintained this inclusive ethos, with development aimed at creating scents that appeal across diverse preferences and skin chemistries. Rihanna has described her goal for the signature scent as capturing distinct memories and cherished places from throughout her life, emphasizing emotional resonance over traditional perfumery classifications. The brand's expansion into multiple fragrance formats, including solid parfum and mist, reflects a practical approach to accessibility, offering different concentration levels and application methods to accommodate varying preferences and occasions.