.@rihannaTakes Self Portrait For.@TheFADER's 100th Issue Cover

RIHANNA TAKES SELF PORTRAIT FOR THE FADER'S 100TH ISSUE COVER

The Superstar Collaborated on a Series of Images; Joins Drake for the Cover of the Publication's Anniversary Issue

In a studio set beneath the iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, and a photoshoot that lasted from morning through night, The FADER's contributing photographer Renata Raksha set up a series of shots that would capture Rihanna in ways that showcase the superstar as she sees herself. For a selection of images, and for the first time in The FADER's history, Raksha handed Rihanna the shutter release, giving the artist the opportunity to collaborate with the photographer, and snap the second cover of the publication's 100th issue. 

Over 16 years and 100 issues, The FADER has won numerous awards for its intimate, documentary photography. With this photoshoot, Rihanna is shown as she sees herself: offering direct access to readers to view who she is as a person today. The cover captures a raw studio shoot where the reader can actually see the seams of the creative process. 

"All photos of Rihanna, at this point in her career, have layers of artifice. We wanted to see what would happen if we were able to pull some of that away," said Naomi Zeichner, The FADER's editor-in-chief. "The FADER's 100th issue reckons with the changes in music and media since The FADER's launch: today there are fewer music magazines than ever, which makes The FADER’s job bigger, and means we are more responsible than ever for contextualizing the work of major artists like Drake and Rihanna. At the same time, there are more ways and more places for artists to tell their own stories than ever before, and this is one example of that. These photos, like the entirety of this issue, reflect on the changing relationship between artists and media."

Styled by Shibon Kennedy, Rihanna is wearing an AWAVEAWAKE front slip dress, layered below a short sleeve varsity knit by ROCHAS, and in her own Fenty Puma design pink fur slides for the cover. In this series of shots, taken collaboratively by both Rihanna and photographer Renata Raksha, both the artist and her surroundings were in full view.

Rihanna is the final cover announcement for The FADER's 100th issue, which will continue releasing exclusive features and stories of the people and events that changed both music and media in the years since The FADER was founded in 1999. Accompanying the photoshoot is an essay written by contributing writer Mary H.K. Choi. She reflects on Rihanna’s growth since they first met in 2007, the nature of celebrity, and the complicated, graceful dance that makes Rihanna seem realer and friendlier than just about any other star.