On November 1st, Rihanna’s cover partnership with Vogue Arabia hit the stands. Despite the negative backlash on social media, many were proud to witness Rihanna achieve another well-shot publication cover. Paying homage and reimagined as Queen Nefertiti, Rihanna’s stylist paired the elaborate custom-made headpiece with her dramatic eye makeup. Take a look below for some of the shots:
Celebrity stylist, Anya Ziourova told Refinery29 that the photoshoot concept was thought about for several months before brought to life and that after research was conducted, Nefertiti was the perfect woman to recreate. According to Ziourova, “After extensive reading it was soon learned that Nefertiti was a very strong character; she was modern for her time, powerful, and, of course, beautiful.” She adds, “Rihanna is the modern Nefertiti: powerful, intelligent, extremely beautiful, innovative, and revolutionary.”
As for the modern clothing, Ziourova explains, “We decided to go with modern clothing and oversized looks from Balenciaga and Céline while having that modern relation to Nefertiti with the headpiece on Rihanna. And it’s that balance that really brought everything together.”