Remember House of Deréon, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles' Fly AF Fashion Line?
Oh, House of Deréon. It's been 10 long years since the fashion line spearheaded by boss ladies Beyoncé and mother Tina Knowles first launched. House of Deréon, where the sidewalk and the catwalk once met, offered wide selections of both casual and formal clothes to young girls and women for six years. Though the brand ultimately flopped (it unofficially closed house in 2012), it had a good, appropriately timed run.
HoD was inspired by Bey's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, but eventually grew to be inspired mainly by Beyoncé. The brand received its fair share of criticism, as do most things Bey puts forth into the world, but make no mistake: House of Deréon was great.
Please direct your attention to HoD's Spring 2009 campaign, to which Beyoncé gave her all. Set in Bermuda, the video features Bey wearing various HoD designs, her favorite being that bright blue gown. Our Queen narrates throughout, her voice calm and reassured. It was almost as if she knew it was all a bust, but she'd land on top despite.
"The clear ocean, the pink sand, the rocks, the clouds and the wind. It made my dress create shapes like art," Bey says in the video, her serenity juxtaposed with the powerful—and very much audible—wind. "The storm was on its way," she continues, playing up the climatic drama that was likely just poor planning. "It was exciting." And it was.
Just who exactly did the brand target? Well, obviously the BeyHive, but also just about anyone, really.
"I think trend-setting woman, confident, has her own style," Tina told CNN at London Fashion Week in 2011, referring to the brand's target audience. "Someone bold, someone who wants to stand out, someone confident, hardworking," Bey added, revealing that the ideal consumer was literally whoever.
Perhaps the most exciting part of HoD had to do not with the actual designs, but with the lyrical mentions the brand received. HoD received shout-outs by Yo Gotti ("5 Star"), The Game ("Burn" the remix) and Lil Wayne ("Fingers Hurting and "It's Young Money"). Unsurprisingly, the most famous shout-outs the brand received were from Bey herself in "Single Ladies" and "Get Me Bodied," testaments to HoD's cultural impact—now and forever.
The good news is that you can still buy House of Deréon. It's currently on Tradesy, where you can buy used designer items. The better news is that it's cheap AF on there, so, you know, stock up.
House of Deréon, we love you so. May your memory live on by way of little known websites and eBay. Never forget these choice designs.
The summer 2012 line:
The bedding line:
That time Bey wore this to the 2009 Oscars:
This gold sequin blazer from the Holiday 2011 collection Bey wore in the video for "Party":
And last but not least, Bey's favorite blue dress.
Did you catch Beyonce’s “Formation” video when it dropped? Check out our tutorial on how to get the Queen’s signature dark lip look in the clip below.