On Friday, March 13, Rihanna made history when she became the first black spokesperson to be the face of a Dior ad campaign–in the brand’s almost 70 year history.

“It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of young girls of any color,” the singer revealed to MTV on March 16 while promoting her new film, “Home”. “To be acknowledged by Dior means a lot, as a woman.”

 

According to WWD.com, the French brand stated that Rihanna will be featured in the fourth installment of the video and print series of the Secret Garden campaign, shot by legendary photographer Steven Klein in the Palace of Versailles in Paris.

The announcement was made just days after the 27- year-old popstar was spotted filming in the lush surroundings of the Palace of Versailles where all of Dior’s previous Secret Garden campaigns have been shot, according to the Daily Mail.

Dior is smart to capitalize on Rihanna’s star power. She is one of the reigning queens of social media. Despite its frequent deletion due to her naked selfies, her Instagram account @BadGalRiRi has 16 million followers, with another 42 million fans on Twitter. Her digital and fashion influence is undeniable.

“Customers don’t care any more about reviews or hard-copy publications,” designer Tom Ford told Style.com last year. “They care what picture Rihanna just Instagrammed while she’s naked in bed, what new shoes she has on, how she’s talking about them. That’s what they respond to.”

Want proof?  Google “Rihanna crystal dress” (the Swarovski crystal covered Adam Selman dress she wore to the CFDA awards last year). The results? 1,310,000 and counting.

Rihanna joins Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, Black Swan actress Natalie Portman and French actress Marion Cotillard, all of whom have starred in past Dior campaigns.

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