The greatest icons of all time
Unique, expressive and influential, these five icons changed style forever.
2010s Beyoncé
The Beyoncé Effect is so pervasive that it’s practically a scientific term. But being a fashion goddess didn’t always come naturally to Queen Bey – when she began with Destiny’s Child, highend labels weren’t looking to dress curvy young pop singers, and the group couldn’t afford designer dresses.
And so, they turned to Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Lawson, who acted as her daughter’s head designer for nearly a decade, giving Bey the chance to develop a unique blend of street wear caps, bomber jackets and camouflage, and ultra-feminine glitz.
Signature looks
One part Diana Ross, one part warrior and one part modern goddess, Beyoncé’s famous looks include sheer Met Gala gowns, the yellow Roberto Cavalli confection of ‘Hold Up’ fame, sequinned body suits, black and red wax print for the opening of Houston’s Menil Collection, and two especially Instagrammed outfits – iconic gilding to announce her pregnancy and prints for the arrival of her twins.
What she gave us
Armani, Peter Dundas, Versace, Gucci, Tom Ford and Rubin Singer are Bey’s most beloved fashion labels. She’s also championed African designers like Duro Olowu and Adama Ndiaye. Then there’s her own fashion line, Ivy Park, and her namesake fragrances.
But beyond all of that, Queen Bey’s greatest style influence has been to encourage women around the world to reclaim feminism and celebrate their power at the same time as they revel in their sensuality. And who doesn’t want to put a gloriously glam ring on that?