CFDA Fashion Awards 2016: Beyoncé says she ‘felt like Khaleesi’ in Destiny's Child as she wins Fashion Icon

The singer talked Game of Thrones, Destiny’s Child and her family lineage in acceptance speech
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Ben Travis7 June 2016
The Weekender

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Beyoncé recalled the time she “felt like a Khaleesi” in the early days of Destiny’s Child as she won the Fashion Icon award at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards.

The singer, who’s currently on her Formation World Tour, referenced HBO’s hit fantasy show Game of Thrones as she spoke about the costumes her family handmade for her.

“When we were starting out in Destiny’s Child, high-end labels didn’t really want to dress four black, country, curvy girls. And we couldn’t afford designer dresses and couture,” she explained in her acceptance speech.

“My mother was rejected from every showroom in New York. But like my grandmother, she used her talent and creativity to give her children their dreams.

“My mother and my Uncle Johnny, God bless his soul, designed all of our first costumes and made each piece by hand, individually sewing hundreds of crystals and pearls, putting so much passion and love into ever small detail.

“When I wore these clothes on stage I felt like Khaleesi. I had an extra suit of armour. It was so much deeper than any brand name.”

Beyoncé’s latest surprise album Lemonade not only alludes to Jay Z’s alleged infidelity, but also references her family history and praises past generations of powerful women.

In her speech she hailed fashion as “a tool for finding your own identity, expression, and strength. It transcends style and is a time capsule of all of our greatest milestones.”

Also honoured at the CDFAs was the late David Bowie, who was posthumously given the Board of Directors’ Tribute Award.

Bowie, noted for his daring changes of style and huge influence on pop culture, died on January 10 earlier this year following a battle with liver cancer.

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