Beyoncé is making high fashion country happen.
The “16 Carriages” singer, 42, continued her Wester-inspired style streak at the 2024 iHeart Radio Music Awards in Los Angeles on Monday where she was honored with the Innovator Award.
In celebration of her first country album album, Cowboy Carter, the superstar went all-out in a head-to-toe leather archival Versace look featuring a zipped leather jacket with golden Medusa details, studded leather gilet and crystal-embellished leather pants from the label’s Fall-Winter 1992 collection.
She styled the ensemble with pointed boots with Medusa emblems, a Medusa cowboy hat and stacked double belts.
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Beyoncé used the honor as an opportunity to call for acceptance, asking everyone to open their ears to enjoying art “with no preconceived notions.”
She was presented the award by Stevie Wonder, who called the star “a true visionary” and later thanked her for “motivating the world to become a better place.”
After thanking Wonder, she revealed that he plays harmonica on her version of “Jolene,” which is featured on Cowboy Carter.
“Tonight you called me an innovator, and for that I’m very grateful,” she said in her speech. “Innovation starts with a dream. But then you have to execute that dream, and that road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is seeing what everyone believes is impossible. Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength.”
On the day she released Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé held an album signing in Tokyo where she wore a sexy take on cowgirl dressing. To greet fans, The “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer wore a monochromatic brown look that consisted of a latex bodycon dress, trench coat, opera gloves and strappy heels. She capped it all off — literally — with a cowboy hat.
The Grammy winner has been loyally wearing cowboy hats for several occasions this year, including at the Luar fashion show during New York Fashion Week, where she watched her nephew Juelz walk the runway. While sitting front row with her mom, Tina Knowles, she wore another monochromatic look, this one an embellished gray pantsuit with a Stetson cowboy hat. She added pops of bling with the shine on her suit and a metallic Luar bag.
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Even going back to the Grammys — before Cowboy Carter was announced, Beyoncé was already toying with her country era. She wore a cowboy hat to the award show while supporting husband JAY-Z, who was being honored with the Dr. Dre global impact award.
Her Stetson simply felt like an aesthetic choice at the time — cowboy style has been having a moment! — but just days later, she revealed that her new country-esque album was coming and the whole vibe came together.
