Beyoncé, who has become one of the biggest influencers in entertainment and fashion, turns 40 today.
Since rising to prominence with Destiny’s Child in 1996, Beyoncé has witnessed immense success and fame from her lucrative music and acting career, as well as fashion endeavors such as Ivy Park.
The award-winning singer got her start in fashion when she and her mother Tina Knowles created a fashion line called House of Deréon together in 2006. The brand was inspired by three generations of women in their family, using the name “Deréon” as a tribute to Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother, Agnèz Deréon.
The brand was reportedly popular amongst Beyoncé’s and Destiny’s Child’s fans, but it eventually closed in 2012.
But her success in the fashion industry didn’t end there. In 2014, the singer signed a deal with British fashion retailer Topshop to create a line of activewear and called it “Ivy Park.” The name was a nod to her daughter Blue Ivy and her favorite number being four, which in roman numerals is IV, as well as a park she used to frequent in Texas. The collection with Topshop dropped in 2016 and was met with great success.
In November 2018, however, sexual assault allegations came to light regarding Sir Philip Green, Topshop’s owner, which led Beyoncé to buy back her shares, assuming full ownership of the line.
In 2019, Beyoncé revealed she partnered with Adidas to relaunch her Ivy Park brand. The first Ivy Park collection under Adidas made its debut in January 2020 and is said to have sold out in minutes after the online launch.
Beyoncé has been married to Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter) since 2008. The two began a relationship after collaborating on Jay-Z’s song “03 Bonnie & Clyde” in 2002. The Carters are viewed as one of the most influential couples in entertainment today, with both of their involvements in music, fashion, production companies, liquor, art and more.
Most recently, the Carters were featured in Tiffany’s latest campaign, featuring a never-before-seen painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat in the jeweler’s signature robin egg blue.
As one of the members of Destiny’s Child, alongside Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin — though the latter left after only six months with the group — Destiny’s Child was one of the biggest all-girl groups in the late ‘90s to the early 2000s. The group found great success in hits such as “Survivor,” “Bootylicious” and “Lose My Breath.” Throughout their time together, Destiny’s Child was nominated for 14 Grammys.
The group officially disbanded in 2006, but all three women have reunited for multiple occasions in the last few years, including the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show and the 2018 Coachella festival, where Beyoncé performed as one of the headline artists.
Her performance at the festival received critical acclaim and was described as “historic,” seeing that she was the first Black woman to headline at Coachella. The performance was nicknamed “Beychella.” She paid tribute to historically Black colleges and universities by featuring a full marching band and majorette dancers as well as Black Greek life. Jay-Z, her younger sister Solange Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined her on stage for certain songs.
Beyoncé launched her solo career in 2003, releasing an album called “Dangerously in Love.” The project included her hit single “Crazy in Love,” featuring Jay-Z, which became her first number-one single as a solo artist in the US.
Since then, she has released five more studio and five live albums, including “Lemonade” and “Homecoming,” which were all the songs she performed at Coachella.
Beyoncé has also starred in movies such as “The Pink Panther,” “Dreamgirls” and Disney’s 2019 remake of “The Lion King,” in which she played Nala.
At this year’s Grammys, Beyoncé made history, receiving the most nominations (nine total) and winning four of the categories, which made her the most-awarded singer, most awarded female artist and second most awarded artist in Grammy history.
Click through the above gallery to see photos of some of Beyoncé’s best style moments over the years.
READ MORE HERE:
EXCLUSIVE: Beyoncé and Jay-Z Meet a Blue Basquiat in Tiffany’s New Campaign
EXCLUSIVE: Beyoncé’s Ivy Park to Highlight Black Cowboys in Next Drop
Beyoncé Just Made History at the 2021 Grammy Awards
By: Conchita Widjojo
