• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

  • HOME
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • FAQ
  • CONTACT

The Rihanna Plane Has Landed

November 21, 2012 by WendyB

All good things must come to an end, and so it goes for the entertaining Twitter hashtag #rihannaplane. For her 777 tour — seven concerts in seven cities in seven countries in seven days to promote her seventh album, Unapologetic — Rihanna took a planeload of journalists along. The journalists kinda lost their minds (and in one case, clothes) due to travel delays, lack of fresh air and sleep, and infrequent sightings of Rihanna.

Desperately seeking Rihanna on her 777 tour. Photo via Necole Bitchie twitter.

A great wrap-up of all the tweets can be found in Complex Magazine’s “The Oral History of The Rihanna 150: A #777 Survival Story.” You can also read:

  • Rolling Stone, “Rihanna’s ‘777’ Tour”: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5.
  • Spin, “Shut Up and Fly”: Mexico,  Stockholm, Paris, mutiny between London and Berlin.

Yesterday, the pop star, her plane and her captives returned to the United States for a final concert at New York City’s Webster Hall. The journalists greeted the end of the tour with joy.

Click for a tour slideshow.

Here’s what Rihanna had to say about it all. I must admit that I don’t feel all that sorry for the plane peeps because — even though Complex’s story says they’re all sick of talking about the experience — after a couple of days’ rest I’m sure they’ll be ready to dine out on this story for years to come. I would. Hell, I’d charge admission!

All of the #rihannaplane excitement reminded me that I never wrote about Rihanna’s November Vogue cover and editorial. Belated respect must be paid because BadGalRiRi is one of the only celebrities I’m delighted to see in a fashion magazine.

Via eonline. Click for source.

She out-poses any of the A-name-recognition, B-plus-fashion actresses slapped on magazine covers AND she out-sexies the models at the Victoria Secret’s runway show? This girl is 1990s supermodel fierce. She can do no wrong in front of the camera as far as I’m concerned.

Click to see the rest of the Vogue photos on LoveBrownSugar.

I’ve decided that, in general, music-industry people are better suited for fashion magazines than actors. I think that’s because a distinctive personal style is such an important part of the package in music. Rihanna benefits from being as Rihanna-y as she can be. There’s a reason why, in the ’80s, we all wanted to be just like Madonna and not like her Desperately Seeking Susan co-star Rosanna Arquette. The examples are endless, and can be found in any decade. There was Elvis and his rockabilly pompadour. The Beatles and their matching suits. Michael Jackson and his glittery military jackets and single white glove.  Adam Ant and his facepaint. Joan Jett and her black shag and blacker eyeliner. Run-DMC and their chains, Adidas, and Kangol hats. Salt-N-Pepa and their asymmetrical haircuts and doorknocker earrings. Britney Spears and her mane of hair and teenage abs. Beyonce with her mane and her abs. Lady Gaga. Nicki Minaj. In September, I saw ZZ Top play a fashion-week party introducing the limited edition, John Varvatos-designed Chrysler 300. Sure, ZZ Top’s songs are totally iconic … but so are their beards! The audience was going crazy the minute those beards appeared on stage, before a note was played.

I love that ZZ Top’s non-bearded drummer is named Frank Beard.

Meanwhile, what actors have had a distinctive personal style since the days of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn? The androgynous Tilda Swinton is one of the rare ones. Johnny Depp is distinctive even though he seems to have gotten his style from Adam Ant and Keith Richards. There’s English eccentric Helena Bonham Carter and couture-worthy Cate Blanchett. But the majority of actors — as physically attractive as they might be — are usually fashionably bland in a scared-to-offend, dressed-by-stylists way. Of course, that makes sense for the profession. An actor should be able to disappear into a role, while a musician’s personality is his or her brand. That’s why I always wondered why Madonna wasted time trying to be an actor. She was her perfect Madonna-y self in Desperately Seeking Susan. Why hide that light under a bushel by pretending to be someone else?

If fashion magazines have to put celebrities on covers instead of models, I vote for musicians every time. Keep the actors in Hollywood where they belong!

UPDATED NOV. 22, 2012, TO ADD: Yesterday’s New York Times review of Unapologetic emphasized the role of Rihanna’s image in her success. While it didn’t focus on her style, it’s obvious how fashion plays a role in creating a persona that is, as the Times put it, “steely and unforgiving and bulletproof.”

Also, here’s the link to Billboard’s final post on the 777 Tour. Great essay, even though I don’t believe the last sentence!

You might also like
What Wendy Wore: Gangsta Boo's Sunglasses
Forever 21 and Topshop Are Amusing
New Emoji Earrings Available at Nylon; Plus, Katy Perry

Filed Under: madonna, magazines, music, Rihanna

Previous Post: « New Nail Art by Tracylee Percival
Next Post: Happy Thanksgiving, I Guess »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Make Do Style says

    November 21, 2012 at 3:04 am

    Now that Vogue shoot is fierce & striking. I agree actors bore me when it comes to fashion x

  2. Kath says

    November 21, 2012 at 4:53 am

    Cult of personality reigns!

  3. Marla says

    November 21, 2012 at 6:59 am

    She is so fashion forward. I love Rihanna’s style.

  4. Mary Panjari says

    November 21, 2012 at 7:47 am

    She has 7 albums? I have never heard one track! Wow I live in a cave made of METAL! Lol.

  5. That's Not My Age says

    November 21, 2012 at 10:13 am

    The 777 tour was in London this week – and I heard that there were naked journalists streaking on the plane. It’s like Spinal Tap all over again. That Vogue cover is fantastic.

  6. Alice Olive says

    November 21, 2012 at 11:56 am

    I second everything you’ve said here, dammit!

    Rihanna is indeed 1990s supermodel fierce. I knew her style before I knew her music. Dare I say I prefer seeing what she wears to her music? Hello, was there anyone else at the Met Ball this year?!

    Plus she’s unafraid of short hair in a world of long-haired females. May she conquer.

  7. Oh to Be a Muse says

    November 21, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    Honestly, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Yeah, they might have had some weird moments on the 777 tour, but like you said, they will have this story for the rest of their lives…and it was still a good experience.

  8. Nina says

    November 21, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Wenddyyyy–you made my day girl! Oh what fun it has been reading these articles–I have the giggles laced with envy. These journalists are so comically in-the-know overdramatic and it’s delightful. What an adventure they had. And free diamond from Rihanna??? Basically 777 was my life goal realized. Time to make this journalist adventure happen in my own life (As a journalist, though who would turn it down as the pop star too?). Loved this post, will be passing it along to my friends for some feel-good pop culture Thanksgiving fun. You rock girl.

  9. stacy says

    November 22, 2012 at 12:55 am

    I lived for Desperately Seeking Susan! Such a great film. Iconic if you ask me. Musicians are FAR more stylish than actresses… think about it, musicians spend their lives expressing themselves while actors spend their careers playing other people.

  10. Topaz Horizon says

    November 22, 2012 at 1:34 am

    “Music-industry people are better suited for fashion magazines than actors. I think that’s because a distinctive personal style is such an important part of the package in music. ”

    Sing it, WendyB! That is the truth!

  11. Sofia says

    November 24, 2012 at 2:28 am

    She has really only gotten better over the years; better music, better looking, she carries herself better, better style. I like her.

  12. lawyerdoll says

    November 24, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    I thought your point about personal branding for musicians vs. actors nailed it! I hadn’t thought of it in quite those terms… but it makes perfect sense why Madonna sucked in every movie she has done, save Evita (essentially a prior version of herself!).

  13. absinthe says

    November 26, 2012 at 11:41 am

    The mystery to me is all the complaining about waiting at the baggage claim. This is a pet hatred of mine. These people were travelling for a WEEK – and a week of gigs – it’s not like they needed to go to business meetings AND dinner AND hiking at the weekend? Why did anyone have more than a carry-on?

    I expand on this point of view here, lol:

    http://performanceandcocktails.com/2012/11/22/one-bag-policy/

  14. Marti says

    November 26, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    I agree I think Rihanna is front cover magazine model material
    Marti

Primary Sidebar

MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ARCHIVES

CATEGORIES

Facebook Pagelike Widget

POPULAR TOPICS

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe for Email updates.
* indicates required

Original jewelry designs, photos and text are © Wendy Brandes 2007-2016. All rights reserved.

© 2016 · FOODIE PRO THEME COPYRIGHT BY · SHAY BOCKS GENESIS FRAMEWORK · BUILT ON THE WORDPRESS