article written by: Meredith Fisher
UPDATED: 01 / 24 / 2007

Amid all the “Jayoncé” wedding rumors, it seems the Dream Girl and her hip hop entrepreneur beau have been involved in a more subtle courtship.

Deréon, the junior apparel collection of House of Deréon Knowles founded with her stylist mother Tina, has become the official clothier of the dancers for the New Jersey Nets—coincidentally enough, co-owned by Jay-Z. The family affair extends to Deréon’s creative pair, who designed all the outfits the girls will don both on and off the court.

“I am thrilled to partner with the Nets,” said Knowles. “We truly enjoyed every step of the process.”

Designed to accommodate the girls’ active pursuits, fabrics like denim, stretch chiffon, and silk charmeuse were used for everything from halter tops to sequin-studded pants. And, for your inner dancer or the simply Beyoncé-obsessed, some of the outfits will be available for purchase in stores across the country.

Knowles, who has clothed Beyoncé throughout her career, said she drew upon her stage costume background during the creative process. “Because of our experience in designing the stage clothing for Beyoncé, and before that Destiny’s Child,” she recalled, “this partnership was such a natural fit for the Deréon brand.”

The collaboration has thus far been a success, according to the Nets organization. “It’s thrilling to be paired with such a fashion-forward clothing line such as Deréon,” said Petra Pope, senior director of entertainment and events marketing for Nets basketball. “Tina and Beyoncé have designed several stylish costumes for our Nets dancers, which have been well received by the fans.” Including the courtside couple themselves, who are regularly spotted attending home and away games together.