What do you do when one of the world's biggest fashion authorities anoints you a 'Fashion Icon'?
You go out and buy the biggest hat you can find and wear it with pride, just because you can.
That's exactly what Beyonce did at last night's CFDA Awards, paired with a glittering Givenchy tuxedo.
The 34-year-old took to the stage to accept the award after entering the New York venue through the back door. That she was to receive had remained a mystery - usually the recipient, Rihanna and Johnny Depp have been previous winners, is announced a matter of months before, but not this year.
'As long as I can remember, fashion has been part of my life. Its effect on me actually started before I was born. Many of you guys don't know this, but my grandmother was a seamstress. My grandparents did not have enough money, they could not afford my mother's Catholic school tuition. So my grandmother sewed clothes for the priests and the nuns and made uniforms for the students in exchange for my mother's education. She then passed this gift onto my mother and taught her how to sew,' said Bey.
She also spoke of the rejection by high-end labels Destiny's Child experienced during their early years, but explained how they overcame it thanks to her mother Tina's talents as a seamstress.
'When I wore these clothes I felt like Khaleesi,' she said. 'I had an extra suit of armour. It was so much deeper than any brand name.'
'My mother actually designed my wedding dress, my prom dress, my first CFDA Award dress, my first Grammy dress, and the list goes on and on,' she added. 'And this to me is the true power and potential of fashion. It's a tool for finding your own identity. It transcends style, and it's a time capsule of all of our greatest milestones. So to my mother ... Thank you for showing me that having presence is about far more than the clothes you wear and your physical beauty. Thank you for showing me how to take risks, work hard, and live life on my own terms.'
See who else won big below...
- Womenswear Designer of the Year: Marc Jacobs
- Menswear Designer of the Year: Thom Browne
- Accessories Designer of the Year: Mansur Gavriel: Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel
- Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Brandon Maxwell
- Swarovski Award for Menswear: Orley: Alex Orley, Matthew Orley, Samantha Orley
- Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Paul Andrew
- Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Norma Kamali
- The Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard: Imran Amed, editor in chief of The Business of Fashion
- The Founder's Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert: Donna Karan
- International Award: Gucci: Alessandro Michele
- Board of Directors' Tribute Award: David Bowie
