Beyonce claims high-end fashion designers were reluctant to work with Destiny's Child at the start of their careers.

Speaking at the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards show in New York City, where she was handed the Fashion Icon Award, Beyonce said: "When we were starting out in Destiny's Child, high-end labels, they didn't really want to dress four black, country, curvy, girls.

"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 and to give her children their dreams."

Beyonce explained that her first costumes were made by her mother Tina and her uncle Johnny, because high-end labels were not interested in working with Destiny's Child, who went on to become a chart-topping band.

She shared: "My mother actually designed my wedding dress, my prom dress, my first CFDA Award dress, my first Grammy dress. And the list goes on and on. This to me is the true power and potential of fashion. It's a tool for finding your own identity, expression, truth. It transcends style, and is a time capsule for all of our greatest milestones."

During her acceptance speech, Beyonce reminded fashion designers that they also have a social responsibility.

She added: "I encourage you to not forget this power that you have or take it lightly. We have an opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine and see her own reflection."