Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour is taking the planet by storm.
The most-awarded Grammy winner of all time is currently performing in the UK following last year’s release of her critically acclaimed album Renaissance, a musical celebration of self-expression. The tour, also titled ‘Act I: Renaissance’, leaves a trail of fans in Sweden, Belgium, and France dazzled by her performance, and is predicted to be the biggest tour in music history, grossing at 2.4 billion dollars. The first leg of her tour continues across the European continent until the end of June, with dates for the North American leg scheduled from July through to September.
Social media is in on the hype too, with fans on TikTok creating their own looks for the concert inspired by the glimpses of Beyoncé’s wardrobe seen in viral videos of her on stage. Metallic fashion is high in demand with the rise of the ‘Disco Cowgirl’ aesthetic, made famous by the disco-ball cowboy hat Beyoncé wore to announce her tour via Instagram on February 1st.
On each night of her much anticipated world tour, Queen Bey has worn a glittering ensemble of silver gowns and sensual bodysuits, embodying the gloriously vibrant feel of Renaissance. Fans have noticed that most of her concert wardrobe is custom made, arranged by the fabulous celebrity stylist and costume designer Shiona Turini. The designer labels are hard to miss - Beyoncé herself lists the ‘haute couture she’s flaunting’ in the last song of the setlist, ‘Summer Renaissance’.
Let’s dive into some of the best looks from her world tour so far and reveal which designer labels should cost a billion for looking this good.
MCQUEEN
Alexander McQueen designed a hand-beaded full jumpsuit with structured shoulders and hips for the grand opening of Beyoncé’s world tour. The silver bugle beads and shimmering embroidery are only hints at the glittering spectacle to come, and the singer wore them with pride when making her Renaissance debut onstage in Stockholm, May 10th.
LOEWE
Worn during her performance of ‘Heated’, an emphatically queer ballroom anthem with its own fan choreography, this sparkling bodysuit serves hands-on realness. With the black opera gloves, it gives the illusion that the RnB icon is some kind of alien superstar.
DAVID KOMA
One of the color-changing creations in Beyoncé’s wardrobe, this psychedelic mini-dress captures a metallic beauty. A long biker jacket and knee boots complete the look (so elegant and raunchy) which is taken from Koma’s Spring/Summer collection for this year.
MUGLER
Yes, she did. Thierry Mugler created this masterpiece - a futuristic bodysuit designed to resemble a bee, with black latex gloves and an antennae mask. This cheeky reference to the Beyhive has become a standout look of the Renaissance tour, and fans are eating it up like pure honey. The design actually stems from an insect-inspired Spring/Summer collection from Thierry Mugler back in ‘97.
COURRÈGES
Between the songs ‘Cozy’ and ‘Alien Superstar’, this bodysuit by Courrèges is briefly hidden by a metallic duvet and pillows that wrap around Beyoncé. When revealed, the artist wakes up as the superstar she is, wearing a silver cut-out bodysuit, a dramatic black opera glove, and reflective over-the-knee boots. The bodysuits worn on the Renaissance tour were undoubtedly chosen to match the 70s club sound of Beyoncé’s latest songs, and they deliver.
BRANDON BLACKWOOD
Worn with custom Tiffany jewelry, this Tiffany-blue ball gown with opera gloves and matching pumps is too classy for this world. Beyoncé looked like a dream wearing this old-Hollywood glamor as she opened her concert in Sunderland on May 23rd, greeting the audience and sitting pretty on a silver grand piano. Blackwood posted the look on his Instagram, expressing that seeing Beyoncé in his design was a ‘dream come true’, and that he was ‘playing Renaissance on repeat’. Same, Brandon.
BALMAIN
Balmain has designed several pieces for the tour, going so far as to theme their 2023 Spring/Summer collection around Renaissance. One of the bodysuits the singer sports is the work of Beyoncé’s long-time friend Olivier Rousteing. The webbed suit is dripped with pearls and paired with sunglasses and a matching hat, hidden for a breathtaking moment under a coat that changes color under ultraviolet light.
COPERNI
This is perhaps the most iconic look of the performance, happening right at the end of each concert. As ‘Summer Renaissance’ begins, Beyoncé mounts a silver holographic mannequin horse and flies above the crowd wearing this custom bodysuit and feathered cape. The mile high rodeo shows off the final look of the night in all its Studio 54 glory.
Beyoncé’s wardrobe for this tour reflects the message of her latest album, Renaissance - “a beautiful journey of exploration” to “feel freedom” as she shares on her website. Written during lockdown, the Texan-born singer captures her yearning for liberation and community, and finds these wishes fulfilled with lyrics inspired by the Black and queer scene. The heavy dance beats behind her effortless vocal runs set the mood as celebratory, capturing the joy of feeling comfortable in your skin and owning your sexuality. Each piece she wears would fit right in at a drag ball, and Beyoncé delivers this culture to new, excited audiences with her trusted stylist Turini and several luxury brand designers at her side. She really is a mastermind in haute couture.
