Rihanna graces the cover of Glamour magazine for the September 2011 mega issue which will hit the newsstands on August 9. The diva, who looks absolutely stunning dressed in a variety of sultry designer outfits opens up and discusses fashion, her influence as a role model, her friendship with certain female celebrities and more.

It's more than obvious that Rihanna manages to maintain her strong status as one of the most influential female celebrities of the moment. After important endorsement deals such as the Nivea or Giorgio Armani Jeans and Underwear, and numerous magazine covers, RiRi now rocks the Glamour US 2011 issue looking haute in a Dolce & Gabbana black and white ensemble.

Throughout the photo-shoot, the diva wears spectacular creations from several luxury fashion brands such as Givenchy, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Christian Louboutin, Vionnet and Marc Jacobs. Considering the multitude of glamorous outfits she sports both for the magazine as well as in real life, it's not surprising that the diva chooses to talk about her fashion style.

The 23 year old diva states that she doesn't appreciate drama in any area of life, she's definitely drawn towards edgy fashion choices: “I hate drama. But at the same time, nothing bothers me more than when life’s perfect. And that’s the sick part. I just love a challenge, whether it’s a relationship, my career, clothing. Getting dressed, I want to pick the most bizarre pair of shorts so I can figure out how to make it look right, or work an outfit that will make people go, “What the hell is she wearing?”

However, she wasn't always able to express her wild side in public. When she was just starting out in the music industry things were rather different:"In the beginning of my career, it was really strict for me. I couldn't wear pink or red lipstick; it was just bizarre. We had a young fan base, and they were trying to keep me fresh. But I just really wanted to be myself. I wanted to be sassy, the attitude, all these things that I am."

Although the star recognizes the importance of being a good role model, she strongly feels that celebrities should be taken less seriously: “I want to set the right example and, at the same time, live my life….I feel like pop stars can’t be rock stars anymore because they have to be role models, and it takes the fun out of it for us, because we just want to have fun with art.”

Expressing herself fashion wise is not the only concept Riri stands for. She believes that honesty is one of the best policies in life as well: “I think honesty is the ultimate liberation in life. People want to shy away from the truth and keep sweeping it under the rug. But after a while, you pick up the rug and there’s just way too much dirt, so you might as well just be up front about it.”

And, because she believes so strongly in personal expression in all areas of life, she is naturally drawn to people who have the same values. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that she and Katy Perry have become good friends: “All my friends are guys, to be completely honest. But when I met her, it was such a breath of fresh air. I just couldn’t believe this chick had no edit button…. Katy and Lady Gaga came out of the gate exactly the way they think, the way they wanna dress, the way they wanna speak".

The star is far from being modest and clearly admits that she is now one of the most influential singers along with other grand names from the music industry: “There’s a pack. It’s me, Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyoncé…who else? Ke$ha, for sure. Women are definitely dominating music right now, and that’s because we are competitive beings. I feel like music hasn’t been this exciting in a while.”

Photo courtesy of Glamour