Beyonce received the Fashion Icon Award at the 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards held at the Hammerstein Ballroom on 6 June in New York City. The 34-year-old Halo singer received the award from Diane Von Furstenberg.
During her acceptance speech, the Crazy in Love singer thanked her mother, Tina Knowles, for designing costumes for her during the initial stages of her career. She said: "My mother — who's so fabulous and beautiful and is here tonight, I love you — my grandmother, and my uncle were always with me so I could not fail. My mother actually designed my wedding dress, my prom dress, my first CFDA Awards dress, my first Grammy dress, and the list goes on and on and this to me is the true power and potential of fashion."
"It's a tool for finding your own identity, expression, and strength. It transcends style and is a time capsule of all of our greatest milestones. So to my mother, my uncle, my grandma, thank y'all. Thank you for showing me that having a presence is far more than the clothes you wear and your physical beauty. Thank you for showing me to never take no for an answer. Thank you for showing me how to take risks, work hard, and live life on my own terms."
"I want to say thank you to every designer who works tirelessly to make people feel like they can write their own stories. Y'all are fairy godmothers, magicians, sculptors, and sometimes even therapists. I encourage you to not forget this power you have or take it lightly... Soul has no color, no shape, no form. Just like all your work it goes so far beyond what the eyes can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, to show people how to embrace their complications and flaws and see the true beauty that's inside all of us. Thank you so much for this incredible award I'll never forget this night. Got bless y'all," she concluded.
At the event, Beyonce who wore a Givenchy suit was joined by her rapper husband Jay-Z and their four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.
