Rihanna Makes History Appearing on Vogue Cover in Durag

Rihanna has made history again, having not but two covers of British Vogue’s May 2020 issue where she sports a durag!

You read that right. Not only does Bad Girl RiRi grace the front of the renowned magazine; but she does so in a Stephen Jones Millinery durag. So, if you’re keeping track, that’s two durags on the cover of British Vogue.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The May 2020 issue of @BritishVogue was created prior to the pandemic which has subsequently brought the world almost to a halt. But, as the Editor-in-Chief of a magazine that prides itself on entertaining, delighting and distracting even under the most difficult of circumstances, I am thrilled to announce the inimitable @BadGalRiri as our May 2020 cover star. Rihanna is a woman I am lucky enough to count among my closest creative collaborators. And did I ever imagine that I would see a durag on the cover of Vogue? No, reader, I did not. Although this potent symbol of black life – of self-preservation, resistance and authenticity – has an important place in popular culture, it is rarely viewed through the prism of high fashion. Yet, here we have the most fabulous, aspirational and beautiful durag, worn by a woman who is breaking every boundary she comes up against. How exciting. See the full story and interview by @AfuaHirsch in the new issue, on newsstands and available for free digital download Friday 3 April. #Rihanna wears all @Burberry by @RiccardoTisci17 and a @StephenJonesMillinery durag. Photographed by @StevenKleinStudio and styled by moi, with hair by @YusefHairNYC and @NaphiisBeautifulHair, make-up by @IsamayaFfrench using @FentyBeauty and nails by @RedHotNails. With thanks to @JillDemling.
 
A post shared by  Edward Enninful, OBE (@edward_enninful) on Mar 30, 2020 at 11:06am PDT
 

A durag is a scarf Black people wear to set hairstyles. It will keep your curls and waves in place, protect cornrows and braids from frizzing, and keep locs looking crisp.

They became popular for fashionable use by rappers like Nelly and 50 Cent in the late ’90s and early 2000s. We’ve even seen stars like Solange wear them on the red carpet. They’ve become a staple accessory in modern Black beauty and grooming.

Now, this isn’t the first time Rihanna has worn a durag on a major fashion platform. In 2014, she wore a Swarovski crystal-encrusted one to match her Adam Selman dress when she won the CFDA Fashion Icon award.

She also wore one for her performance at the 2016 MTV VMAs.

In addition to that, she outfitted some of the models in her Spring 2017 Fenty x Puma fashion show with — you guessed it — durags.

Enninful is shook

The editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful is in awe of this cover, writing in his Instagram caption, “And did I ever imagine that I would see a durag on the cover of Vogue? No, reader, I did not.”

“Although this potent symbol of black life — of self-preservation, resistance, and authenticity; has an important place in popular culture, it is rarely viewed through the prism of high fashion.”

“Yet, here we have the most fabulous, aspirational, and beautiful durag, worn by a woman who is breaking every boundary she comes up against. How exciting.” We couldn’t say it better ourselves.