Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

The Rihanna Plane Has Landed

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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:

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!

Reader Interactions

Comments

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

  12. 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!).