She does it again

Cover girl again: Beyoncé bests Christina Aguilera in fierce photo shoot

Beyoncé models Givenchy silk satin bra and skirt, mink glasses and necklace
Photo by Patrick Demarchelier
In this photo, Beyoncé wears a Givenchy angora sweater, crinoline and woolskirt, cap and shoes.
Photo by Patrick Demarchelier
Beyoncé is on the cover of the July issue of W
Photo by Patrick Demarchelier
Louis Vuitton cashmere jacket, cotton denim shorts, hat, gloves, socks and shoes
Photo by Patrick Demarchelier
Beyoncé wears a Givenchy gown in her latest video, "Run the World (Girls)"

Beyoncé shares the cover of the July issue of the edgy fashion magazine W with Christina Aguilera. Half the readers got Houston's hometown girl, while the other half got Aguilera, who is making a comeback due to the popularity of The Voice.

Houston subscribers, like me, received the Beyoncé cover and she seems to have gotten the better end of the deal. She appears in a 10-page fashion spread, wearing a Givenchy satin bra and mink glasses, a Louis Vuitton cashmere jacket, denim short shorts and thigh-high socks, a Gucci silk shrug and a Philip Tracey beret. Noted photographer Patrick Demarchelier did the honors.

Aguilera only gets six pages, which are devoid of interesting photos, although she does pose nude on the cover, with her long crimped hair covering most private parts.

To promote her fourth solo album, appropriately titled 4, Beyoncé picked images to show how she has evolved from her Destiny's Child days. "All these images have something in common," she said. "In my videos I always want to be a powerful woman. That's my mission."

Her looks range from "Crazy in Love" (2003), where she wore a body-hugging white T-shirt and jean shorts, along with red pumps, to her latest, "Run the World (Girls)," where, among a number of costume changes, she wears a Givenchy couture gown while holding two hyenas on chains. "There's dirt on the dress, but I'm still pure and regal," she said. I wanted to push the theatrics to make a point: Women rule."

Other tidbits:

She will soon star in Clint Eastwood's remake of A Star is Born. "Oh my God," she exclaims. "That scares me the most."

She's happy with the title for her new album. "Four is my favorite number. It's an important number in my life: The date of my birthday, my mom's birthday, my husband's birthday, they day I got married, Barack Obama is the 44th president, and I performed "At Last" by Etta James at his inauguration."

And as for dancing in heels? That came at a young age. She says:

As a child I trained myself to dance in very high heels. At 13, in Destiny's Child, we were told to wear heels, but at first we couldn't walk in them. We couldn't keep our knees straight. But we learned, and that became the image of Destiny's Child; so young and glamorous. Now I have a rule that my dancers have to wear their heels when I'm wearing my heels. They say, 'Please take your shoes off, Beyonce.' At home, I'm always barefoot. And I have a heavy walk without heels. When they hear me thumping around the house, they say, 'Oh — Beyoncé's up!' "

See the "Run the World (Girls)" video:

unspecified

FALL FÊTE

Texas luxury boutique collabs with Houston designer for new fashion brand

Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

Saint Bernard teams up with Houston designer Lyndsey Zorich for Love Note.

River Oaks District boutique Saint Bernard is getting ready for fall with a new collection created with Houston style veteran Lyndsey Zorich. The fashion-forward retailer and the founder and designer of Mason's Daughter teamed up to launch Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich, a new Saint Bernard-owned brand.

Saint Bernard doesn't usually collaborate with local designers on its own brands, making this partnership with Zorich special. She was involved in everything from creative direction and textile development to fabrication and production. Shoppers can expect a feminine collection with a playful take on everyday dressing for women who want to look put together, but not too serious.

Love Note officially launches on Thursday, September 10 at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, as well as online. Customers will have to be patient, because another unique aspect of this collaboration is that the entire collection won’t debut at once. Instead, the brand will roll out in a series of monthly drops, each having its own seasonal point of view.

Saint Bernard x Lyndsey Zorich Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich is available at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, plus online.Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

The Kick Off is the first drop in September. It is a game day-inspired collection with pieces designed for fall sports and weekend road trips. In October, The Lean In will debut with more feminine silhouettes, followed by Getting Comfortable, which focuses on the perfect layering pieces for Texas’s warm fall weather.

A longtime Saint Bernard shopper herself, Zorich's unique style and Texas perspective gave her a greater understanding of what Texas customers want.

“Getting dressed has always been one of my favorite forms of self-expression, and Love Note allowed me to take that idea from concept all the way through the finished product,” said Zorich. "Saint Bernard felt like the right partner, because I genuinely understand and love their customers. Love Note is meant to bring a little more playfulness to getting dressed, pieces that feel personal, special, and bring joy to everyday life.”

That individual connection is what Saint Bernard wanted in this project. According to Ashleigh Goyer, director of owned brands for Saint Bernard, the store wanted a new way for Saint Bernard to give customers something both recognizable and unexpected.

"She shares her perspective, her lifestyle, and her love of fashion, and she has an incredible ability to make getting dressed feel effortless and personal," said Goyer.

lyndsey zorich river oaks district houston shopping saint bernard houston