Rihanna transforms into post-apocalyptic queen for 'W' magazine
Rihanna dresses like the "last woman on Earth" for the September 2016 cover of W magazine. Ditching the standard interview, the singer lets her ensembles speak for her as she morphs into a post-apocalyptic queen, donning chains, metal keys and billowing designer pieces (all personally made by Margiela, Prada, Christian Dior, among others) and stands alongside Mad Max-esque men and muzzled canines.
Rihanna on the cover of the September 2016 issue of W Magazine. Courtesy Photo
W magazine's creative director Edward Enninful offered more insight into the collaborative shoot and the inspiration behind the theme.
He explained, "I take random inspiration from everywhere. I was obsessed with these pictures of military men running around with dogs on their backs, and I was like 'Oh, that's a statement about today.' The thing about Rihanna is that she never wants to repeat something she's done, and she did a video where she wore lots of camouflage – so I knew I didn't want to do a military story. Instead, I wanted to do something that was set in the future world. We thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice to take this concept and apply it to the last woman on earth, the last warrior on earth, really.
"When I talked to Rihanna, I told her that I didn't think she should wear clothes off the runway because a queen gets her clothes made," Enninful added. He also said, "With Rihanna, it's always a collaboration and that's why I love her so much. So I'll send her ideas, she'll bounce them back. It's not me going, 'Here you go, Ri.' It's 100 percent collaboration. I'll send her one of the sketches and she'll say 'Oh I love it,' or 'I wish it was shorter.'"
See the full spread here.
