Beyonce Knowles has a knack for creating visual aids for her art. Remember when she dropped a self-titled album where every song had a music video? Or when she released “Lemonade,” the iconic visual album? From gowns, to bodysuits, to antennas, to Texas-sized cowboy hats; the fashion on the Renaissance World Tour is just another clever method of bringing her music to life. Her latest album, “RENAISSANCE,” which won best EDM album at the 2023 Grammy Awards, was groundbreaking in its use of multiple genres, such as dance, R&B, soul, and house music. Inspired by queer club culture, the music preaches a liberating lifestyle full of self-love and dance. Therefore, only the boldest of couture garments could match the energy Beyonce brings to the stage and to her recordings. With fifty-six show dates and nine quick-changes a night, Beyonce racked up a momentous total of 148 custom looks across the Renaissance World Tour. Not to mention, all of her back-up dancers, including her daughter Blue Ivy, wore just as many coordinated custom looks. Simply put, the costume-design was not an afterthought, but rather a key element to enhance the overall production value of the show.

If you know anything about Beyonce, you know “whatever” does not exist in her vocabulary. Everything has a purpose, and every moment on stage is thought through. With that in mind, you can interpret her performance wear as an extension of her music, choreography, and stage presence. At one point in the show for example, the singer dons a variation of a custom Mugler bee costume - in loving dedication to her fans, affectionately named the “Bey-hive.” Each bee costume, complete with an antenna headpiece, comes across as a structured piece of art through the use of straight lines, geometric detailing, and beautifully accentuated hips. The Mugler constructions are the perfect personification of the prominent beat and sharp choreography of the EDM songs “America Has a Problem” and “Pure/Honey,” which are performed during this portion of the set. This is a stark contrast to the flowy couture gowns Beyonce wears at the beginning of the show as she sings a medley of love ballads. Through this, her angelic voice is wonderfully emphasized by the ethereal gowns designers such as Valentino, Ellie Saab, and Georges Hobeika created.

But let us face it, the most iconic takeaway from this tour is the skin-tight, glove adorned bodysuit created by the Spanish luxury house, Loewe. In the most liberating of outfits, Beyonce serves face as she sings “Heated,” one of the most hype and queer-club inspired songs on her set-list. The costume not only gives her the freedom to move without restraint, but the simplicity of the design means all focus is on Beyonce’s performance stamina, dance, and vocals. As her setlist during this portion of the show literally preaches “liberating, living like we ain’t got time,” there is no better garment to express such a sentiment.

With the entire world’s eyes on her, Beyonce also took the opportunity to launch her latest IVY PARK x ADIDAS collaboration, which this time is a swimsuit and fully “noir” line. She wore variations of these looks in both the form of a sequined, skin tight, double thigh-high slit dress in both black and hot pink - simply iconic.

As the “Bey-hive” caught onto the bold nature of the tour, concert-goers matched the singer's energy and dressed ready for a night of clubbing with Beyonce herself. From direct cosplays of the tour-looks, to bejeweled cowboy hats in honor of her home-state of Texas, the preparation for the concert was almost as exciting as the concert itself.

The Renaissance Tour premiered as one of the first major live tours to return after the global pandemic. The world tour brought together over two million people in an environment where dance and love was encouraged and pessimism was banished. Beyonce, one of the most accomplished performing artists in the history of the music industry, lit up the world and once again taught us how to leave an everlasting impression on the mind’s eye of society.

Written by Parker Elkins, Design: Mia Still, Social Media: Camila Ponce

Beyonce is That Girl!