The fashion world’s elite gathered at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Monday evening for the annual Council of Fashion Designers of America awards.
Or, as the kids like to call it these days, the CFDAs.
Often referred to as fashion’s Oscars, this lavish affair brings together the brightest minds in the arts and entertainment worlds for an evening dedicated to celebrating American fashion.
The audience was filled with notable fashion idols, including Marc Jacobs, Alessandro Michele of Gucci, Thom Browne, Calvin Klein, Anna Wintour, Rebecca Minkoff, Coco Rocha, Kenneth Cole, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Joseph Altuzarra, and Donna Karen.
But there was one surprise guest of the evening: the one and only Beyoncé Knowles.
Beyoncé was named Fashion Icon of the Year, the final award of the night and one that had been kept a secret.
Are we surprised that Beyoncé won this prestigious award? Not really. Her style has been nothing short of impeccable over the last few years. Not to mention she already dominates every other notch of the female empowerment spectrum, so it was only a matter of time before the fashion world decorated Queen Bey as well.
The Formation singer, who rarely walks red carpets these days and gives interviews even less frequently, dazzled on stage in a glittery black Givenchy pants suit when she went up to accept her award from CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg.
She came equipped with a powerful message to share, in which she reflected on how fashion has always been a part of her life, especially during the beginning of Destiny’s Child when the group struggled to get designers to dress “four black, country, curvy girls.”
She went on to discuss the role her mother and late grandmother played in her acceptance of fashion and shared that it was her mother who designed her Destiny’s Child costumes, her prom dress, her wedding dress, and her Grammy dress.
But it was when Beyoncé thanked the other designers that have impacted her life that her speech really began to take shape:
“I want to say thank you to every designer who works tirelessly to make people think they can write their own story. Y’all are fairy godmothers, magicians, sculptors, and sometimes even our therapists. I encourage you to not forget this power you have or to take it lightly.
We have the opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection. Soul has no color, no shape, no form. Just like all of your work, it goes far beyond what the eye can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, and to show people how to embrace their complications, and see the flaws, and the true beauty and strength that’s inside all of us.”
This is what struck home for us. Instead of using fashion as a pillar to make money or land a magazine cover, Beyoncé looks at it as a way to inspire and uplift other people no matter their colour, shape, or form.
As millennials, we are all a part of the Beyoncé generation. We grew up with Destiny’s Child, watched her transition into a solo career, followed her personal life, and she’s never let us down.
To me, Beyoncé is the epitome of a role model. She may breathe success, but she doesn’t let that define her. She was born to be an entertainer, but has evolved into something much greater than that.
She believes in equality for all and educates her fans about women’s rights, self-love, and how to empower others through her lyrics and at her sold-out shows.
Although role models come in a variety of looks, careers, and attributes, Beyoncé continues to prove why she fits the bill while she juggles the pressures of being a mother, wife, and an international star – all while doing it all on her own terms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNRdOKJkam4
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