All Gas No Brakes (In Heels) With Savage X Caramel Curves
If there’s one celebrity entrepreneur whose ventures have been A1 since day one, it’s Rihanna. And she has done it again, this time with the Savage X Caramel Curves campaign.
The megawatt star roped in New Orleans-based all-woman biker club Caramel Curves to showcase her brand Savage X Fenty’s newest 100-plus-piece collection of lingerie.
Revving up on their customised bikes, the crew of black mothers and small business owners radiates a strong sense of pride and sisterhood. Photographed by Shaniqwa Jarvis, the women cruise around their neighborhoods in matching bra and panty sets, complemented with matching fishnet tights, and of course, biker gloves which come up till the elbows. A sheer floral motif cutout maxi slip and asymmetrical lace teddy in floral chevron lace add spice and variety, completing this image of feminine badassery.
“The Caramel Curves show the world what being a badass boss is all about, while bringing sexiness along for the ride,” Rihanna said in a press release.
The biker club was founded in 2005 by Nakosha ‘Coco’ Smith and Shanika ‘Tru’ Beatty to empower women and make a statement about stereotypes in their communities.
They own their femininity, donning pink leather jackets and rhinestones while simultaneously taking on the men who feel challenged by their mastery over what is typically a male-dominated activity. Their distinctive aesthetic and the fact that they ride bikes wearing heels turns heads wherever they go.
“When we pull up, they looking like, “Who them badass girls is on bikes?” And then, “They looking cute. They got heels on, makeup done, hair slayed”. That’s how we step out everytime we ride,” they say in the campaign video.
If that’s not main character energy, we don’t know what is.
The women of Caramel Curves are local celebrities, and it’s easy to see why. Their self-assurance and 'idgaf' attitude is aspirational, especially for thicker women.
“You’d think we’re Beyonce or Rihanna or somebody, how people rally around us,” they said in a 2015 feature.
6 years later, it’s only fitting that they serve as Rihanna’s muse. Over the past few years, the popstar has made waves with her Fenty product lines which centre inclusivity and representation in their brand DNA instead of just incorporating the values as an afterthought.
Since its inception in 2017, Savage X Fenty offers bras in sizes ranging from 30A to 44DDD and XS to 3X in underwear. Its 2019 show (aired on Prime video) was nothing short of trailblazing for the fashion industry, with lingerie modeled by bodies of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, as well as trans and disabled individuals. Viewers responded with wild joy and unbridled admiration- throwing their hard earned cash at lingerie that finally caters to them, they made Rihanna a fortune worth $270 million from Savage X Fenty alone.
The freshly minted billionaire is one of the foremost tastemakers of our generation, and Savage X Caramel Curves goes to show the sheer amount of torque the visionary singer-turned-designer has built up.