New York Times Writer on Beyoncé: She's No Fashion Icon
Beyoncé fans might be thrilled that the singer's costumes will have their own exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before Bey is even eligible to be inducted into their list, but not everyone is convinced she has a right to that spotlight. New York Times writer Vanessa Friedman penned a piece that detailed just why she felt that Beyoncé shouldn't be considered a fashion icon.
"Beyoncé hasn't moved, or influenced, the direction of fashion writ large in the way that, say, Rihanna, the winner of this year's CFDA Fashion Icon award, has. (See, for example, the luxe athletic pieces peppering collections like Pucci, Balmain and Tom Ford.) She doesn't wear things and spark a million trends, like Madonna once did with her jeweled crosses and lace minis, not to mention her bullet bra corsets. She doesn't cause items to sell out overnight, like wee Prince George," Friedman wrote.
"She doesn't worm her way into designers' imaginations, the way Patti Smith and Courtney Love did. Her stylist has not become a well-known name in his own right, the way Nicola Formichetti has moved from working with Lady Gaga (who also won the CFDA Fashion Icon award in 2011) to becoming the creative director and frontman of Diesel," she continued.
Friedman also took a jab at Beyoncé's own fashion line, House of Deréon, which has faltered in recent years. Friedman then went on to wonder why the star can whip fans up into a frenzy with every performance, social-media share, and selfie, but not inspire them to dress like her despite rocking so many top designers.
"Spreading the wealth, so to speak, among so many designers, which at first looks like an effort to woo the fashion world, actually works to create a situation in which no one name is permanently associated with her other than her own. It's a question, as it always is, of power and cui bono. And cui bono here is her," Friedman said.
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