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After months of speculation and rumors of a Kim Kardashian win, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented this year's Fashion Icon Award to none other than Beyoncé.
And she accepted the award in a glittering suit and a massive, can't-ignore-me hat. Of course.
Some snippets and highlights from her speech:
"As long as I can remember fashion has been a part of my life." @Beyonce#CFDAAwards
— steff yotka (@steff_leopard) June 7, 2016
"When I wore these clothes on stage I felt like Khaleesi." @Beyonce on Tina Knowles' costumes. #CFDAAwards
— steff yotka (@steff_leopard) June 7, 2016
"Having presence is about so much more than what you wear." - @Beyonce dropping #BARS at the #CFDAAwards
— Elaine Welteroth (@ElaineWelteroth) June 7, 2016
"Fashion is a tool for finding your own identity, expression, and strength," @Beyonce. #CFDAAwards
— Susan Scafidi (@CounterfeitChic) June 7, 2016
At first, though, it wasn't even clear that Beyoncé was in attendance at the annual awards ceremony. The news that Queen Bey had snuck into the CFDA Awards (with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy in tow) came straight from social media. The Lemonade singer slipped into the event through the back about an hour late, completely missing the red carpet. As soon as she was spotted, speculations of her being presented the coveted Fashion Icon Award — which the CFDA had kept under wraps — started brewing:
Welp, Bey just snuck into the back of the #CFDAAwards, looks like we know who's taking home the Style Icon Award tonight.
— Tim Fitzgerald (@tim__fitzgerald) June 7, 2016
You guys...between us...JAY-Z JUST WALKED IN WITH BABY IVY... #nochill #CFDAAwards
— Elaine Welteroth (@ElaineWelteroth) June 7, 2016
Is Beyoncé receiving the Fashion Icon Award tonight? There is a place setting for her at Hammerstein Ballroom. @CFDA #CFDAAwards
— Jim Shi (@jimshi809) June 7, 2016
if Beyoncé is at the #CFDAAwards.....is she getting the Fashion Icon award?
— candela (@daniela_candela) June 7, 2016
This would probably explain why the CFDA kept this year's winner so hush-hush. The organization usually announces the winner along with the other nominations in March. But we can only assume this year's delay was to build hype around the moment Beyoncé finally took the stage to accept an award that everyone thought Kim Kardashian West had in the bag.
Rumors of a possible Kim K. Fashion Icon Award started swirling in March after Vogue Runway's director Nicole Phelps penned an article about why she thought the reality star would be the perfect pick. People on Twitter had other ideas, though; while many hoped that another Kim — Lil' Kim — would be presented with the honor, others only wished that it would be somebody, anybody other than Mrs. Kardashian West.
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As it turns out, Kim and Kanye didn't even attend the awards this year (despite being in New York for last weekend's Governors Ball), and Kim pretty much confirmed that she wasn't there when she tweeted about "missing workouts and eating bad." Doesn't sound like someone who's preparing to accept a CFDA Award to me:
UGH I leave LA for a few days and I miss my workouts and eat bad.What happened?!?!?!
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 7, 2016
The CFDA Fashion Icon Award is meant to celebrate the person who has had the biggest impact on the fashion industry over the last year, and we can definitely see why Bey was chosen. Not only did she break the Internet (AGAIN) with her 2016 visual album Lemonade, but the outfits she wore during the accompanying hourlong film were insane — from a dramatic, yellow Roberto Cavalli gown to a floral Gucci suit. I mean, even the Yeezy Season 2 body-con leggings and sports bra she wore under a Hood By Air fur coat for "Don't Hurt Yourself" were fire.
According to social media, the singer wore Givenchy to accept her award from the designer Diane von Furstenberg. Here's a video of her sneaking into the show:
Beyoncé arriving at the #CFDAAwards tonight. pic.twitter.com/0J3XXJuM61
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) June 7, 2016
Riccardo Tisci's designs for Givenchy have been a go-to for the performer for a few years now (remember the latex dress she wore to this year's Met Gala, and the feathered and sheer gowns she wore the years prior?).
Past winners of the award include Rihanna, who accepted hers wearing a see-through Swarovski crystal-embellished dress in 2014, Lady Gaga in 2011, and Pharrell Williams last year.