Under The House of Dereon

By: Jefferson John Babasa
Submitted: 2008-11-10 13:24:49
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The music industry has produced many popular names that made it across the world, and among those names that kept ringing in our ears is the name Beyoncé. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles or simply Beyoncé has really come a long way since the formation of an R&B and pop girl group called Destiny’s Child. Aside from being an R&B singer and song writer, Beyoncé Knowles is also known today as a record producer and an actress. But beyond being a popular entertainer the world over, Beyoncé is also as popular as being an entrepreneur that founded the branded clothing line, house of dereon.

Destined Child

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the girl group Destiny's Child, which is also the most celebrated girl group of all time. “Say My Name”, “Jumpin’ Jumpin”, and “Survivor” were the albums that made the group more than just a group of girls, but a pop icon among the rest of the world.

In late 2000, Destiny’s Child turned their attention in embarking on individual side projects, which also includes the releasing of solo albums. This was also the time when Beyoncé started to show up on movies such as the box-office hit Austin Powers Goldmember in which she co-starred with actor Mike Myers. She also recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack.

This opportunity also proved to the world that Beyoncé’s as versatile as she was with Destiny’s Child when she released her solo album, Dangerously in Love. Dangerously in Love debuted at number one upon its release, selling 317,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It also yielded the number-one hits "Crazy in Love", and "Baby Boy"; and the top-five singles "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl". Knowles solo debut was well-received by critics, earning five Grammy awards in one night for Dangerously in Love, tying the likes of Norah Jones, Lauryn Hill, and Alicia Keys for most Grammys received in one night by a female.

In late 2005, Knowles landed another role in a movie titled Dreamgirls in which she portrayed the Diana Ross-based character Deena Jones. Released in December 2006, Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson. Knowles recorded several songs for the film's soundtrack, including the original song "Listen" in which she won the Best Original Song on the Golden Globe Awards. She also won Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy of the same awarding night.

This marked the start of Beyoncé’s success. But these aren’t the only accomplishments that she achieved. Beyoncé also proved to be as talented on the entrepreneurial plane when she founded the house of dereon clothing lines.

The House of Dereon

When the group Destiny’s Child had only started out and did not have much money or access to designer clothing, Tina Knowles (Beyoncé’s mother) used to design and sew the outfit that the group usually wears.

House of dereon clothing was first mentioned to the media in September of 2004, by fashion partners Tina andBeyoncé Knowles. In an interview, the founders said that the brand name was inspired by Agnez Dereon, mother of Tina, grandmother of Beyonce and Solange. The reason was to honor Mrs. Dereon, a self-taught seamstress who created fine custom clothing and home furnishings for select private clients throughout the south in earlier years.

Tina Knowles picked up and furthered her mother's love for fashion and design. Throughout the time period she was supporting her daughters' careers, she found ways to upkeep and entertain her need to design and style.

The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, which is from Agnez Dereon’s time, Tina Knowles’ generation, and Beyoncé Knowles’ point. According to Tina Knowles, the overall style of the line best reflects Beyoncé's taste and style. They describe the clothing line as Couture. Kick. Soul. Beyonce's Grandmother as being the soul, Beyoncé's is the kick, and Tina Knowles is the couture. Additionally in the line's design are styles that allude to Agnez Dereon’s era, such as retro pencil skirts.

Beyonce's creative direction that landed her the success she has now in the music world is now channeled into house of dereon. It is reported that Beyonce has an active role in the House of Dereon's design department, actively approving and discussing fashion designs and ideas.

Finding great success in fashion, Tina and Beyonce also took it upon themselves to launch a splintered Junior's line entitled dereon. Expanding the brand, Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles launched the junior line dereon that is geared towards younger consumers and is more reasonably priced. Dereon was introduced in 2006. The tag line for dereon is "Where the sidewalk and catwalk meet". This line includes more casualwear, such as sweatpants and embroidered hooded sweatshirts. Sisters Beyoncé and Solange is the official spokes model for the clothing line as she's also become a wordly popular image, with an ever-growing fanbase. House of dereon and dereon have both found major success in their respective markets and beyond.

Article source: Expert Articles