Beyoncé’s “surprise” style icon award at the Council of Fashion Designers of America gala Monday night might not have been a shocker, but her outfit certainly was.
The pop singer — whom insiders had a feeling would be CFDA’s top-secret award recipient — took the stage at the fashion industry’s Oscar-like night wearing a wide-brimmed felt hat that partially obscured her face and a glittering Givenchy tuxedo. The black-and-silver pinstripes called to mind the zoot suits and sparkling jumpsuits of another icon, the late David Bowie, who was honored at the ceremony, too.
And she’s rarely ever looked better.
The outfit is a departure for Queen Bey. Who ever thought the high-glam star would show up at a fancy event in pants, let alone a gender-bending, glam-rock suit, and look utterly comfortable and herself?
Of course, Beyoncé has shown that she is somewhat of a shape-shifter and versatile dresser — just look at the array of outfits and personae she tried on in her recent video-album epic “Lemonade.” But on the red carpet, and at events like the CFDA, she tends to gravitate toward the Beysic: predictable mermaid skirts, overembellished princess gowns, naked dresses.
Her nearly nude 2015 Met Gala frock would have been scandalous, had not J.Lo and Kim Kardashian shown up at the same event wearing virtually identical gowns. And while this year’s long-sleeved latex Givenchy was certainly different, she looked like she was suffering in it. (Wearing head-to-toe rubber can’t be comfortable.)
Where Beyoncé’s fashion chops have shone, however, is with her performance-wear.
Ever since her Destiny’s Child days — when Beyoncé’s mom would sew the outfits worn by the women in the group — the star had a knack for standing out in a shot, in a dance-off, in a show. And lately, these ensembles have gotten more daring: That simple, striking one-sleeved leotard in the “Single Ladies” video, the Michael Jackson-level military-style jacket she donned during her 2016 Super Bowl performance of “Formation,” the exuberant yellow Cavalli dress she wore while smashing cars in “Lemonade.” These aren’t your typical Beyoncé-style mermaid dresses — they might not even be all that “pretty,” but they’re fashion. They have personality. They pack a punch.
And that’s what Beyoncé’s CFDA outfit did, too. The subtle sequins and Marlene Dietrich-worthy tux toed the line between couture and costume, and did so beautifully. Perhaps Beyoncé should start treating the red carpet less like a fashion show and more like a stage or a video shoot. She looks more interesting, fabulous and more at-home when she does.
