Dior Beauty has named Rihanna as the face of “J’adore” in a bid to reinvigorate the flagship fragrance range. Her first campaign for the brand, shot by Steven Klein, will be revealed Sept. 1, the company said.”

The unusual talent, audacity, and captivating beauty of this absolute star are the ideal embodiment of dazzling, powerful Dior femininity that transcends generations,” CEO Véronique Courtois said, adding that “Christian Dior would most definitely have adored her.”

The news follows a February report by The Business of Fashion stating that the Barbadian singer and entrepreneur was set to return to the French brand; as well as Dior’s recent announcement that Charlize Theron, the star of J’adore’s iconic gold pool advertisements for over two decades, was transitioning to a new role as an ambassador for the brand’s skin care and makeup.

Rihanna was originally named Dior’s first Black ambassador in 2015, starring in a global fashion campaign shot at Versailles. Remaining a friend of the house even as she pivoted to launch her own lines for lingerie, makeup and fashion (the latter two backed by Dior’s parent company LVMH), Rihanna’s memorable Dior looks over the years have included extravagant pink capes, androgynous oversized suiting and a stomach-baring, see-through couture ensemble that showed off her pregnancy in 2022.”

Being the new face of J’adore is both an honour and a mission,” Rihanna said. “I am especially looking forward to joining this adventure and contributing to it through my world, my story, my roots, as well as my creativity and my own femininity.”

The revamp of J’adore is poised to be Dior’s biggest perfume launch since Jennifer Lawrence-fronted “Joy” in 2018.  A mixture of floral, fruity and sweet aromas, J’adore was initially launched in 1999 before quickly growing into a global business that consistently ranks among the top 10 scents across regions in consultancy NPD’s annual market share rankings. Recent years’ momentum, however, has been more focused on Dior’s blockbuster mens’ scent, Sauvage.

Rihanna’s appointment comes amid a long-term push to align Dior’s fashion and beauty image after decades of the two units operating rather independently despite both being owned by LVMH.

Christian Dior Couture’s longtime communications chief Olivier Bialobos has progressively expanded his authority over the beauty arm as well. Most recently he was named to a deputy-CEO role that oversees image and communications across both units last year.