Beyoncé channels trans icon Connie Fleming for Cowboy Carter photoshoot

Beyoncé honors trans icon Connie Fleming in a Cowboy Carter photoshoot, blending Blackness and queerness.

Beyoncé has honored trans modeling pioneer Connie Fleming in a recent photoshoot for the vinyl release of her eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter." The photoshoot features Beyoncé wearing the iconic red cowgirl ensemble from Thierry Mugler’s Spring/Summer 1992 Cow-Boys collection, originally worn by Fleming. The look, captured by photographer Blair Caldwell, showcases Beyoncé framed by a flaming star with her Renaissance disco ball horse transformed into a fiery steed on two wheels.

Fleming, a trailblazer in the fashion industry, was one of the few openly trans models during her time. Speaking to Models.com, she recalled, "When I started, there were a lot of things I wasn’t put up for or could do because it would be seen as subversive or pushing a narrative." She praised designers like Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, and Jean Paul Gaultier for showcasing beauty in all its forms, saying, "They didn’t put it out there as a spectacle. It was like, this is real, I am conveying to you something that is not only a dream, but it’s the world we live in."

Beyoncé's homage to Fleming comes as part of her broader effort to integrate queer icons of color into her work, as seen in her 2022 album "Renaissance." This act not only celebrates Fleming but also highlights the contributions of Black and queer artists in the country music genre.

The collaboration between Beyoncé and the Mugler brand continues the legacy of inclusivity and artistic expression that Thierry Mugler championed. Current creative director Casey Cadwallader has continued this vision, even reuniting with Fleming. "Casey has such a wonderful eye and has fostered the true DNA of Mugler, the brand’s inclusivity and the democratization of fashion," Fleming said.