Amina Muaddi Co-Designs Larger-Than-Life Shoes in Fenty Release 7-20 Campaign

In July 2019, Ellie Pithers wrote for British Vogue “Meet Amina Muaddi, The Designer Behind Rihanna’s Favourite Sass-Laden Shoes.” Pithers noted that Kendall Jenner and Dua Lipa are also fans of Muaddi’s “heel that flares out like a Cubist take on a Doric column and is so distinctive that people stop her on the street – before going into fan girl meltdown upon realising that they’re speaking to the designer of the shoes in question.”

“They’re very comfortable – but I didn’t design them with that in mind,” Muadd explained to Pithers.  “The flared heel is great on grass and gravel, because you get the femininity of a thin stiletto heel with the cool and the comfort of a platform. I can wear them all day long.”

Rihanna’s stylist, close confidant and creative director of Fenty, Jahleel Weaver was friends then with Amina Muaddi — which is how Rihanna became a client. Rihanna sent Fenty clothes to Muaddi when the line launched. “I feel amazing when I’m wearing them. There’s that swagger, you feel like you are channelling Rihanna,” she laughs. 

Fast forward a year and Muaddi, who is half-Romanian, half-Jordanian and grew up largely in Italy, has launched her first footwear collab with Fenty. Weaver considers it to be a girls club match for the fashion ages.

“Aside from her immaculate taste, something that I thought was really important between the connection of Amina and Rihanna… They are both modern women designing for modern women. I think that connection is really, really important. Obviously, Amina thinks about that with her designs in her line and Rihanna thinks about that in everything that she does. There’s something invaluable about women doing it for themselves. That is very important.”

Rihanna was very much part of Muaddi’s debut collection for Rihanna, as the women worked with Weaver created shoes that are distinctly Fenty with their own identity.

For Fenty, the shoes are grounded with an architectural metal heel at 10cm, high enough to add a little lift without sacrificing comfort. “It was very exciting to find that Fenty identity. I wanted to start from scratch,” the designer says. “I wanted the shoes to emphasize Fenty’s aesthetic and have Rihanna’s feminine yet edgy vision and style, but do it through my own lens.”

See the entire collection at Fenty.com. As for the buzz, the ad campaign is larger than life and shot by Valentin Herfray. The range is also available on Farfetch, FENTY’s exclusive new digital partner.