LVMH, Rihanna pause Fenty fashion line

**WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY

She’s a top-selling music artist, actress and global fashion icon – but none of that, it seems, was enough to keep the lights on at Rihanna’s fashion label, Fenty.

Parent company LVMH on Wednesday said Fenty's ready to wear line would be (quote) "put on hold" pending better conditions - a rare setback for the French luxury group, which has weathered the current economic climate better than most rivals, and which launched the brand less than two years ago with a splashy event at which Rihanna said this:

"I've never done something like this - this high-end, and with a team this big and bad. I mean, LVMH is like, they're a machine, a monster of a machine. So, working with them, you can only expect the best."

LVMH did not elaborate on why it’s now hitting the pause button, but after showcasing its debut collection in May of 2019, Fenty kept a low profile and never followed up with major marketing events, even before the health crisis hit.

Fenty’s creation marked only the second time the retail group had set a label up from scratch - the first being Christian Lacroix’s eponymous brand in 1987. LVMH also owns Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, among many other high-end brands.

Named after the pop star, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Fenty was meant to tap into the soaring demand for luxury celebrity lines, and build on the singer's joint cosmetics venture with LVMH with a full range of clothing, shoes and accessories.

LVMH on Wednesday said it would continue to focus on growing Fenty skincare products and cosmetics, as well as Rihanna's lingerie label, Savage X Fenty.