After almost 10 years, Rihanna is making a triumphant return. No, not to music (Navy, stand down): Rihanna will be returning to Dior. During the Raf Simons era in 2015, she made history as the first Black celebrity signed as an ambassador for the brand. Now, the singer and beauty mogul is the new face of the iconic Dior J’Adore fragrance.
For the J’Adore campaign, Rihanna was back on familiar ground, shooting in Versailles with photographer Steven Klein. The duo previously worked together for Dior’s “Secret Garden IV” campaign, also captured at the legendary location. Then, the photos and film showcased Rihanna strolling, stomping, and running around the gilded palace at night. This time around, Rihanna is presented as a golden goddess with blonde caramel hair and a new neckpiece reminiscent of the signature bottle.
Rihanna’s return has been highly anticipated. A few weeks ago, the Dior Instagram account teased that “J’Adore has a new queen.” Fans began to speculate it was Rihanna after she was spotted at the brand’s Fall 2022 ready-to-wear show and Spring 2024 haute couture show. J’Adore is also the kind of fragrance you might imagine Rihanna wearing. It’s floral, with a hypnotic blend of ylang ylang, Damascena rose, and jasmine, but it’s still complex and surprising. She will be replacing Charlize Theron, who has been the face of J’Adore for two decades. Theron isn’t leaving Dior altogether—instead, she will be the French fashion house’s style, jewelry, and skin care ambassador. Rihanna’s full campaign video launches on September 1.
Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. _When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.
Kathleen Hou is ELLE”s Beauty Director. Previously, she held the same title at New York Magazine’s The Cut. She’s appeared in publications such as New York, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue India, Forbes, and Allure. She was also a co-founder of Donate Beauty, a grassroots beauty donation project started during the COVID-19 crisis, which donated over 500,000 products to over 30,000 healthcare workers across 500+ hospitals.