Leave it to Beyoncé to show up Sean “Diddy” Combs at his own birthday party. The rapper-turned-record exec threw himself a 50th birthday bash on Saturday night at his Beverly Hills mansion — and as you may have already guessed, the guest list was full of stars. Kim Kardashian West showed up in a vintage Vivienne Westwood wedding dress; Cardi B looked as chic as she did last week at the courthouse; Kanye and Jay Z took a break from being frenemies to coordinate their outfits; and Paris Hilton arrived dripping in gold. But even with some of Hollywood’s best-dressed celebs in attendance, Queen Bey still managed to stand out as the front-runner.
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For the occasion, Beyoncé sought out Albanian couturier Kujta & Meri, who, according to the brand’s Instagram, were up until the wee hours of the night sewing on rhinestones and pinning snowflakes to the sleek black number. “It was 04:00 in the morning and @kujtameri were working with excitement and emotion on Beyonce's magnificent dress,” the brand posted. “She had a lot of confidence in us, and left us free to create the best for her. It was a big responsibility to create for a DIVA @beyonce.”
The dress itself combined an eye-catching slit (as so many of Beyoncé’s best looks do) and a one-shoulder silhouette that highlighted the snowflakes responsible for the designers’ late night. Beyoncé styled the dress with elbow-length gloves, a silver clutch, and a hefty sprinkling of diamonds and emeralds.
If you haven’t heard of the brand, you’re not alone, but Beyoncé’s never shied away from wearing under-the-radar labels. In February, the Homecoming singer stepped out in a suit and hat combo courtesy of a designer that, at the time, was still just selling on Etsy. The look, designed by Nigerian designer Ena Udemba of EnaGancio, was handpicked by Beyoncé and her stylist Zerina Ackers and paired with a handbag by similarly undiscovered brand L’Afshar of Dubai, according to Vogue. Both EnaGancio and L’Afshar have since flourished, with renowned supermodel Iman following Beyoncé’s lead in EnaGancio and L’Afshar being picked up by Shopbop, Net-A-Porter, and FWRD. As for Kujta & Meri, it’s safe to say that you’re about to see a whole lot more of the Albanian duo post-Bey.