Beyoncé is making it clear that Cécred was built to succeed beyond her celebrity status. In a new interview with i-D, the superstar opened up about her hair care company, revealing why she chose to fund the business herself and why she wants customers to judge the products rather than the famous name behind them.
Speaking with journalist Eni Subair for the publication’s October 26 feature, Beyoncé discussed the most rewarding part of developing Cécred alongside her mother, Tina Knowles. She explained that watching the brand attract people across different ethnicities, hair textures, generations, and genders has been especially fulfilling.
But building Beyoncé’s Cécred into a serious beauty business required challenging expectations about how celebrity brands should operate.
“I’m the founder, visionary, and sole investor,” Beyoncé told i-D.
The Grammy winner emphasized that her involvement goes far beyond lending her image to a collection of hair products. Although her name brings enormous recognition, she does not consider herself the brand’s face or model.
Instead, Beyoncé wanted to create formulas that address actual hair concerns and deliver results strong enough to attract people who aren’t necessarily interested in her music.
She even joked that “the people who can’t stand my music still use Cécred,” adding that the reason is simple: “because it works.”
The playful comment reflects the strategy behind Beyoncé’s Cécred, which launched in February 2024 after years of development. Rather than relying exclusively on celebrity endorsements, the company has placed considerable attention on product testing, hair health, and customer experiences.
According to a September 2026 report from Vogue Business, Beyoncé and her team spent six years researching and developing the brand before its official debut. The company also established a research laboratory and test salon at its Los Angeles headquarters to support product development.
Tina Knowles, who serves as Cécred’s vice chairwoman, explained to Vogue Business that Beyoncé was determined to invest heavily in research without allowing outside financial pressure to compromise the products.
That decision also helps explain why Beyoncé has remained the company’s sole investor.
In a separate September interview with Fortune, Cécred CEO Grace Ray confirmed that Beyoncé financed the business independently because she wanted control over its direction. Tina also revealed that Beyoncé remains deeply involved in product development, sometimes sending formulas back for additional improvements when they fail to meet her expectations.
The business is also rooted in the Knowles family’s history.
Tina previously operated a Houston hair salon called Headliners, where Beyoncé spent much of her childhood surrounded by hairstylists, clients, and women running businesses.
According to Vogue Business, Tina drew from decades of salon experience when helping develop Cécred, including traditional hair care practices and the different needs of textured hair.
That family history is central to Beyoncé’s Cécred, but the singer has consistently emphasized that the products are intended for all textures rather than one specific demographic.
In the newly released i-D feature, Beyoncé describes building a community that extends across racial, cultural, and generational lines as one of the company’s greatest achievements.
The brand has also taken an unconventional approach to marketing.
Tina told Vogue Business that Beyoncé had participated in only two professionally produced Cécred campaigns since its launch. Instead, much of the company’s social media content highlights everyday customers, their hair routines, and employees demonstrating how the products work.
That approach has accompanied significant retail expansion.
In April 2025, Cécred entered more than 1,400 Ulta Beauty stores across the United States. According to the company’s official launch announcement, the partnership represented the largest exclusive hair care launch in Ulta’s history.
The company reached another milestone in September 2026 when it expanded into the United Kingdom through Space NK, bringing its products into approximately 90 retail locations across the region, according to Vogue Business.
Beyoncé’s latest i-D appearance coincides with that international expansion and marks 20 years since her previous appearance in the publication, which celebrated her 2006 album B’Day.
The new project includes an exclusive poster zine photographed by Blair Caldwell. According to i-D, the publication features a conversation with Beyoncé and Tina about hair care, their family experiences, and the company’s expansion into London.
While the publication has only released one excerpt from the interview online, Beyoncé’s comments offer a clear look at how she views her growing business.
For an artist whose name alone can generate attention worldwide, the goal is to build a company that people continue supporting for reasons that have nothing to do with being part of the Beyhive.
