Erykah Badu has been named the recipient of the Fashion Icon Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The Grammy-winning artist accepted the honor earlier this week in Manhattan, expressing her gratitude for the recognition.
“It means a lot to be celebrated as a fashion icon because I express myself most clearly through the way I dress,” Badu said. “The way I approach life has a lot to do with what I wear and how I choose to show up. That expression is sometimes very contagious to others.”
In addition to her musical career, Badu will appear in the upcoming film The Piano Lesson, alongside Samuel L. Jackson. Badu also contributed to the film’s music, composing several pieces.
“When I got the call to do music for it and compose a few songs, I started researching the time period, which is roughly the 1920s to mid-’30s. I worked with my friend Daniel Jones, and we composed three pieces. Afterward, he asked if I could perform one of the pieces in the film. There was a part for me, Lorraine, and I thought, ‘Oh, they made a part for me? That is so cool,’” she recalled.
Asked if she would consider taking on more acting roles in the future, Badu offered a cautious response: “Yes. I see acting more as work. It’s a job. It’s different. It’s not the thing that comes easy to me. But I’m not opposed to a good film if a good script comes along that I can tackle.”
The Piano Lesson, set in Pittsburgh following the Great Depression, centers on a family dispute over a valuable heirloom piano. The film is set to be released in U.S. cinemas later this month.
