Beyonce has been judged this year's Fashion Icon at an awards ceremony recognising people whose influence has had an impact on the industry.
The 34-year-old singer received the accolade at the annual CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) event held at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Monday.
She thanked her mother, Tina, for being her style icon and designing her ensembles throughout her career.
Speaking at the star studded event, the mother of one - who has four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy with rapper and producer husband Jay Z - said: "I feel so much love and I feel so proud.
"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.
"Starting out in Destiny's Child, high-end labels didn't really want to dress four black country curvy girls, and we couldn't afford designer dresses and couture. My mother was rejected from every showroom in New York.
"But like my grandmother, she used her talent and her creativity to give her children their dreams. My mother and my uncle, God rest his soul, made all of our first costumes, individually sewing hundreds of crystals and pearls, putting so much passion and love into every small detail. When I wore these clothes I felt like Khaleesi. I had an extra suit of armour. It was so much deeper than any brand name."
Beyonce believed that fashion was 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, my grandmother, my uncle, 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."
The powerhouse, who wore an embellished Givenchy tuxedo and wide-brimmed hat for the occasion, also credited fashion designers for their relentless creativity and ability to "empower" people through their innovative designs.
"I want to say thank you to every designer who works tirelessly to make people think they can write their own story. Y'all are fairy godmothers, magicians, sculptors, and sometimes even our therapists. I encourage you to not forget this power you have or to take it lightly.
"We have the opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection. Soul has no color, no shape, no form. Just like all of your work, it goes far beyond what the eye can see.
"You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, and to show people how to embrace their complications, and see the flaws, and the true beauty and strength that's inside all of us."
Other recipients
Marc Jacobs won Womenswear Designer of the Year, while Thom Browne was judged Menswear Designer of the Year.
The creative director of Gucci, Alessandro Michele, was recognised with this year's International Award and veteran designer Donna Karan received the Founder's Award.
The Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent went to Brandon Maxwell for Womenswear. Norma Kamali received the lifetime achievement award.
The Media Award went to Imran Amed, editor in chief of The Business of Fashion.
Tribute for Bowie
Fashion designers also paid tribute to David Bowie, the British rock star and style icon who died of cancer earlier this year.
Actress Tilda Swinton accepted the Board of Director's Tribute Award on behalf of Bowie's widow, Iman.
Michael C. Hall, one of the stars of Lazarus, the musical Bowie had worked before his death in January at the age of 69, also performed.
"David Bowie was an influence on everything. He was a culture event - his music, everything he was and we miss him," designer Diane von Furstenberg said on the red carpet.
Bowie won fame for hits such as Space Oddity, Heroes and Life on Mars?, and plaudits for trend-setting pop personas like Ziggy Stardust and pushed the boundaries of rock, fashion, art and drama for decades.
- Bang Showbiz and Reuters
