Queen B Goes Under the Radar for her New Look!

Beyoncé's music isn't the only thing that has the fashion world buzzing about the release of her fourth album, "4".  Aside from the fashion marathon that she took us through in her video "Run the world (girls)" that featured seven designer outfits from Gareth Pugh to Norma Kamali.  Queen B takes it a step further by showcasing a fold-out cover that looks more like a glossy fashion magazine spread than a record sleeve.

As with other leading pop music divas like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry, fashion has always played a big role in Beyoncé's artistic persona. In her music videos, she uses outfits to take on different roles —from sexy diva lion-taming in a red Alexander McQueen autumn/winter 2010 printed mini and thigh-high heels in "Run the world (girls)" to joyous bride in a wedding dress for her latest video “Best Thing I Never Had”.

The difference this time, is in her choice of designers. Instead of sticking to major fashion houses like Versace, Gucci, Prada or Chanel, the singer has thrown the spotlight on a number of up-and-coming designers whose names are likely to be unfamiliar to all but the most diehard fashion followers.

Beyoncé's creative director, Jenke-Ahmed Tailly, along with the singer’s stylist Ty Hunter, pointed her in the direction of these designers.  The album’s cover image showcases the singer’s embrace of under-the-radar creators and features Beyoncé's wearing a fox-fur stole by the cult French designer Alexandre Vauthier embellished with Swarovski crystals by the Lesage embroidery house. Mr. Vauthier’s work also shows up inside the fold-out cover, as does a pair of “Daisy Duke” shorts by the young French designer Julien Fournié, who founded his brand only three years ago.  Beyoncé continues her fresh faced fashion showing by wearing a Maxime Simoens purple dress for her "deluxe" album cover.  Even student designers got a look-in: Leah Rae, who is studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, created a form-fitting lemon-yellow mini-dress for the album spread.

Maxime Simoens, said it best : "She is a style innovator and an avant-gardist".  I couldn't agree with you more, especially since it takes a true style innovator to rock a Gareth Pugh metallic mini dress and make it look easy!

Fashions from Beyoncé's Fold-Out Cover

Wearing a Black Fox Fur Stole Alexandre Vauthier embellished with Swarovski crystals on the album cover

Wearing a Red Fox Fur Stole Alexandre Vauthier  




Model wearing a Fox Fur Stole Vauthier embellished with Swarovski crystals by the Lesage -SP/SU 2009




Lemon Yellow Mini Dress designed and created by student designer, Leah Rae attending FIT in New York




Wearing Maxime Simoens purple dress on the "deluxe" album cover




Maxime Simoens Purple Dress-SP/SU 2010