“Women should be wearing lingerie for their damn selves,” said pop music icon Rihanna to Vogue in her May 2018 cover story. “I can only hope to encourage confidence and strength by showing lingerie in another light… I want women to own their beauty.”

As part of NYFW 2019, the Savage X Fenty runway show is a 40-minute spectacle that showcases Rihanna’s latest lingerie line, a ready-to-wear collection made for the everyday woman. Be it loungewear, corsets or bralettes, every piece featured on the runway is available for purchased from her website. They come in a wide range of sizes from XS to 3XL, 32A to 42H.

Released to over 200 countries via Amazon Prime Video on 20 September, the second-annual Savage X Fenty show took the fashion world by storm, breaking all known stereotypes of beauty by putting inclusivity at the heart of the show. Here are four reasons why the empowering Savage X Fenty Show 2019 is a must-watch.

It’s more than a runway show. It’s a full-blown spectacle.

Held in Brooklyn, New York, the Savage X Fenty show features a full-on set at Barclay’s Center that’s decked with staircases, a round, lit-up pool and a futuristic structure of 20 windows.

The extravaganza begins with Rihanna strutting into the spotlight, commencing the fanfare as she launches into her first dance number, backed by models of all sizes and skin tones. While the models are perched on big square blocks that rise above the arena, Bad Gal RiRi stands front and centre, getting her moves on.

With former Fifth Harmony member Normani surprising the crowd with an epic performance, donned in Savage X Fenty lingerie, and Migos performing a song in the pool, how could you not be encapsulated by this fashion musical?

The star-studded event features countless celebrities sporting Rihanna’s lingerie.

Just for the Savage X Fenty show, Cara Delevingne returns to the runway after a hiatus from the modelling business. Gigi and Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls and Laverne Cox, amongst many others, walk the runway in the brand’s lingerie as well.

As for the music line-up, it’s far from a letdown. Keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats are DJ Khaled, Big Sean, Chika and 21 Savage. Even Halsey appears more engaged by the diversity of women at the Savage X Fenty show, as compared to her last performance in 2018 for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

The show sets the standards for inclusivity and body positivity.

You might expect a series of size 0 white girls walking the runway, similar to another blockbuster pageantry we’ve all known and loved, but this time, women of all body sizes, skin tones and heights dominate the arena. Say goodbye to the old definitions of “sexy”. There’s a new, pro-inclusivity sheriff in town.

Rihanna goes deep into the inspiration behind Savage X Fenty.

In her Amazon Prime documentary, she shares about her own struggles of feeling underrepresented. It’s the reason why she took to the crowds to truly understand what they wanted to see, and created a new collection of lingerie with a mission to be empowering and all-embracing. Rihanna gets real with plenty of behind-the-scenes clips, including her thought process of creating the collection, proving that transparency is possible, no matter how big the brand.

Image Credit: Savage X Fenty