Dallas R&B legend Erykah Badu has been announced as the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 2024 Fashion Icon.She will be honored at the annual CFDA Fashion Awards on Oct. 28.
The “queen of neo-soul,” said in a statement, she does not take the award for granted.
“I’ve always had a love for taking bits and pieces of the things I am attracted to, and creating something far more grand than the sum of those parts,” Badu said.
“From the music I make, to the looks I put on, to the technology I’m developing, I’m always looking for innovative, exciting ways to be more expressive and connect with people – to be closer to nature.”
The singer’s eclectic flair cannot be boiled down to one look. As of late though, her signature style tends to involve a rotating gallery of accessories: bracelets up-and-down her arm, gold or silver grillz in her teeth, beads in her hair and a perennial oversized top-hat.
“I love that the garments that I get to wear have sound and movement and make music. The beads and metal pieces and things that I constantly add to my wardrobe are parts of what makes me, me,” Badu said to Vogue in 2022. “I love my clothes to sing.”
Chairman of the CFDA Thom Browne said, “Erykah Badu and fashion are synonymous in many ways,” in the news release. “Erykah effortlessly exudes herself, her unique point of view, through the clothing she chooses to wear,” he continued.
Past recipients of the Fashion Icon award include Serena Williams, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell and Beyoncé.
Last year, another Dallas native Presley Oldham also made it onto the council’s radar. Oldham, who makes jewelry from old pearls, was named a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Another designer ultimately won the $300,000 award.
