House of Deréon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

House of Deréon logo.

House of Deréon is a prêt-à-porter fashion line introduced by singer Beyoncé Knowles and her mother/stylist Tina Knowles. The style and concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name "Deréon" paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon.

Expanding the brand, Jay Z and her sister Solange Knowles launched the junior line Deréon that is geared towards younger consumers and is more reasonably priced. The tag line for Deréon is "Where the sidewalk and catwalk meet". This line includes more casualwear, such as sweatpants and embroidered hooded sweatshirts. Both women are models for both clothing lines and are featured on most marketing campaigns. In 2007, members of Beyoncé's touring band, Suga Mama appeared in print ads.

House of Deréon was announced to the media in September 2004, by Tina and Beyoncé Knowles. While Beyoncé was performing in the group Destiny's Child, her mother Tina would design and sew their outfits, especially when the group was first starting out and did not have much money or access to designer clothing. Part of what called attention to Destiny's Child, besides their obvious talent, was their one-of-a-kind fashions. Their style set them apart, yet gave the group cohesion as a similar style, color or garment was worn by all the members.

The fashion line was first introduced on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and was also featured on The Tyra Banks Show. The clothing mixes hip-hop influences, such as its use of denim, with ultrafeminine flourishes like embroidery and ruffles. In an interview with Ebony magazine Beyoncé said "I love the clothes from the '70s, my mother's clothes. I love clothes from the '40s, my grandmother's style, so elegant. We wanted to take elements from my grandmother's legacy--the beaded lace, lush colors, fine fabrics--and mix them with clothes from my mother's generation and my generation." ^[1]

Often featured, such as on the back pockets of jeans, is the fleur de lis a three- branched symbol representing the iris flower and its historic linkage to the French monarchy. It also recalls the French history of Louisiana and the designers' heritage from that state. Additionally in the line's design are styles that allude to Agnèz Deréon's era, such as retro pencil skirts. It is reported that Beyoncé has an active role in the House of Deréon's design department, approving and discussing fashion designs and ideas.

[edit] About Agnèz Deréon

Agnèz Deréon, later Agnèz Beyincé (1924 – 1984) was a French Créole Louisiana native whose surname and passion for creating beauty^{[citation needed]} from the mundane is the inspiration for the clothing line House of Deréon.

Agnèz Deréon (actually born Agnès DeRouen), (pronounced dare-ay-on or duh-RAHN) was born on July 1, 1924 in Delcambre, New Iberia, Louisiana, the daughter of Eugène DeRouen and Odilia Broussard. Self-taught, she became a well known seamstress catering to private clients in Louisiana. She was accustomed^{[citation needed]} to tailoring pieces that stood out by decorating the fabrics she used with such embellishments as embroidery, aplliques and smocking. Incorporating materials such as lace, beads and jeweled buttons, were just some of the ingredients that Deréon used to make her style unique, according to the House of Deréon website.

Deréon later married Lumis Albert Beyincé of Abbéville, Louisiana, the son of Alexandre Beyincé and Marie Olivier. The couple relocated to Galveston, Texas where they raised their family (some of the Beyincé relatives still live in Galveston). Both Beyincé and her husband were of French-speaking Creole (or French Creole) descent of mixed African-American, French, Native-American, Spanish ancestries.

The Beyincé family was poor, yet upwardly mobile.^{[citation needed]} The couple made many sacrifices to see that their children matriculated through private school and received a proper education. In an interview with Ebony magazine, Tina recalls that her mother made altar boy robes and other garments for the church so her children could attend Catholic schools.

Among the couple's children are: Tina Knowles, Angela Beyincé's father, etc. Their grandchildren are Beyoncé Knowles and Solange Knowles, Angela Beyincé and great-grandson Daniel Juelz Smith Jr., Solange's son with Daniel Smith.