Rihanna salutes Amelia Earhart in Harper's Bazaar cover shoot

Written by . Published: February 08 2017

Rihanna has channeled her inner Amelia Earhart for a new fashion covershoot to celebrate the late aviation pioneer "who held her own with the big boys".


The Diamonds hitmaker graces the cover of the 150th anniversary issue of Harper's Bazaar, going blonde to strike a pose in a flowing custom Dior Haute Couture dress atop a bright red single-engine plane for the subscribers' version of the special edition.

In the accompanying photo feature, shot by photographer Mariano Vivanco, Rihanna turns the airfield into her runway, modeling a series of stylish looks beside the aircraft and in the cockpit.

Debuting the cover picture on Instagram, a Harper's Bazaar representative writes, "@BadGalRiri flying high on our March 2017 subscriber cover."

Another post shows Rihanna strutting her stuff in a tan Tod's trench coat, mid-calf boots by Emporio Armani, and an aviator's hat and goggles, comparing her side-by-side with an image of Earhart donning a long winter coat as she stands beside her plane.

"@BadGalRiri channels Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean, for our March 2017 issue by editor in chief @GlendaBailey," the caption reads.

The black-and-white shot of Earhart was originally featured in an essay Amelia wrote for Harper's, first published back in 1929, titled Plane Clothes, in which she discussed how to stay fashionable while flying.

Paying tribute to Earhart in the piece, Rihanna says, "There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.

"Amelia Earhart was such a dynamic force in her industry, setting multiple aviation records in her time. So it was a no-brainer for me to team up with Harper's Bazaar in honor of a woman who held her own with the big boys."