Beyoncé fan and Black business owner hopes cowboy hats become wardrobe staple
Beyoncé fan and Black business owner hopes cowboy hats become wardrobe staple
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Beyoncé released 'Cowboy Carter' album one year ago: A look back
It's been one year since Beyoncé released her eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter." Here's a look back at the album's impactful year.
Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour has boosted interest in Western fashion, particularly cowboy hats.
Chicago entrepreneur Mercedes Matz owns Maya James, a company selling handmade leather cowboy hats.
Matz hopes the cowboy hat trend extends beyond the current "cowboy core" aesthetic.
Beyoncé's tour and album have highlighted Black country artists and the genre's roots.
Beyoncé has undoubtedly put a renewed spotlight on Black country artists, the genre as a whole and its culture and fashion. One Beyoncé fan and Black business owner says she hopes fans start to incorporate her cowboy hats into their everyday wardrobes.
Chicago native and die-hard Beyoncé fan Mercedes Matz launched her brand Maya James last June.
"I have always loved Western fashion. And one of my best friends, Kayla, introduced me to this guy who makes hats," Matz says. "He made me a hat, and I was getting so many compliments on the hat ... and honestly, it kind of just blossomed that way."
Her blossoming brand now sells exclusive cowboy hats for $285 each.
"My hats are 100% leather cowhide material, and they are all one-of-one hats. That's why we don't have these super huge drops, because I want to ensure that each hat is perfect when it gets to the customer's hands," she says. "Each hat is different."
While Matz is from Chicago, she gets a lot of Southern influence form family in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Although a "Cowboy Carter" tour wasn't necessarily in mind when she launched her brand, she says the singer's announcement had a major impact on her business — especially after an influencer spotlighted her brand for fans seeking Black-owned options for the tour.
"With the 'Cowboy Carter' album out and Western fashion just being on this resurgence — not to say that it has ever gone out of style; I think it's always been here; now it's reaching new audiences — I would say that Beyoncé announcing her tour is what really catapulted it," Matz says.
Now she hopes the resurgence of the cowboy hats transcends the current trend and cowboy core aesthetic.
"One of the things that I want people to do with the hats is really just make it their own," she says. "Obviously, with a cowboy hat, you think Western and fringe. But, I really want people to wear it as an accessory to any piece that they have in their closet."
Matz plans to attend the "Cowboy Carter" tour and says she's looking forward to seeing fans in their hats. Her brand has even helped fans feel inspired with outfit mood boards.
As fans know, Beyoncé first announced her eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter," during a surprise Super Bowl commercial in February 2024 when she released singles "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold 'Em."
In a matter of weeks, Beyoncé will kick off her first concert April 28 in Los Angeles and include 32 stadium shows across the U.S. and Europe. Since the initial announcement, Beyoncé has added a handful of concerts including final shows in Las Vegas. She's also set to make history with her scheduled tour dates.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
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