If there’s one thing Rihanna knows how to do, it’s remind the world exactly who rules the cultural landscape.
Just when the internet felt entirely choked by quick, disposable digital noise, the Fenty mogul stepped in to stop the clock. Breaking news in the high-fashion world has officially landed: Rihanna is the stunning cover star of "EE72" Magazine’s highly anticipated Summer 2026 debut issue, delivering a breathtaking masterclass in modern royalty.
Styled by the legendary Edward Enninful, captured by photographer Szilveszter Makó and featuring transformative make-up artistry by Ammy Drammeh, the historic, 18-page "La Reine de l’Espace" (The Queen of Space) cover concept isn't just about showcasing gorgeous clothing.
It is a brilliant, visual thesis on historical black queens, maternal authority, and the enduring power of black legacy.
Inside the new EE72 magazine launch
In an industry currently dominated by fast-paced media, micro-trends, and artificial, AI-driven perfection, "72 Magazine" (EE72) is pushing back. Founded by former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and his sister, talent agent Akua Enninful, the ad-free, quarterly publication operates as a tactile, collectible art piece.
To bring this majestic vision to life, the creative team bypassed standard digital touch-ups.
Instead, photographer Szilveszter Makó utilised an intense, slow-cooked artisanal process, hand-painting physical backdrops and sketching directly over the final photographs to give the imagery a textured, museum-grade canvas feel.
Rather than having Rihanna impersonate a specific biographical figure like Queen Nzinga or Nefertiti, Enninful chose a collective archetype approach. The team spent weeks researching historical African portraiture and classical royal oil paintings, stripping away strict historical timelines to extract the universal traits of sovereign authority: unblinking dignity, absolute power and maternal strength.
Defining fashion culture through a sovereign lens
The result is a stunning cultural intersection where lifestyle meets high art.
Wearing jaw-dropping haute couture from master designers like Christian Dior, Maison Valentino, Chanel and Schiaparelli, Rihanna commands the frame with her signature "royal gaze". The concept shifts the narrative of who belongs in positions of timeless reverence, gracefully rewriting a historically Westernised art history.
originally found in IOL
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