Beyoncé’s fashion-filled renaissance tour sends Toronto into turmoil

Beyoncé will perform in Toronto on Saturday, the first North American show of her Renaissance tour, and Canada’s BeyHive is ready. She’s put on nothing short of an extravaganza as she’s performed her album in Europe over the past few months, from a mid-air mirror ball ride to voguing robots to a dance movie of her 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.

But it’s the costumes that really take the spotlight. The show transports us to a space age world with futuristic looks that not only complement but participate in the performance, mixing galactic motifs with club couture, showcasing impeccable craftsmanship and technological innovation. It’s a full runway show of bespoke designer pieces specific to each new city she visits. In the age of social media, where no-show stunts can remain a secret, the Queen certainly keeps us on our toes.

The tour is a live celebration of her seventh studio album, released last summer, an ode to the eagerly awaited club culture and ballroom scene following a seven-year break since her last solo album, Lemonade. “Making this album gave me a place to dream and escape,” Beyoncé wrote in an Instagram post.

For her first show in Stockholm, we were served Renaissance imagery that telegraphed the aesthetic of the tour, giving us Donna Summer at Studio 54 vibes from the album artwork. We also learned that she has designed an haute couture collection in collaboration with Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing who translated songs from the album into shimmering, glamorous looks.

In an exciting development for the tour’s Toronto stop, Canadians will be able to get an up-close look at Beyoncé’s Balmain collection from July 5-11 in a special Renaissance Flagship pop-up, occupying the third floor of Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street . Fans lined up to see the couture looks and buy Renaissance merchandise, including hoodies, T-shirts, hats, and an art book ranging from $25 to $325, as well as Renaissance: Beyoncé featuring Balmain pieces like an oversized T shirt, drop-shoulder hoodie, and oversized bag ranging from $200 to $600.

For her concert looks, we should have known to expect the unexpected. She works with a selection of the fashion world’s top stylists, many of whom are black women, including Shiona Turini, the stylist and costume designer who worked with Beyoncé on her iconic music video Formation, and Julia Sarr-Jamois, the current fashion director of British Vogue. And the designers they work with are carefully chosen and diverse.

A shimmering, surreal trompe l’oeil catsuit by Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson mirrored a similar dress from his fall 2022 collection. Perfectly manicured hands were strategically placed along Beyoncé’s figure, finished with black gloves complete with red nails.

An electric blue bodysuit from Roksanda was surrounded by a structural crinoline for maximum drama, with the color popping against the silver sequin-covered stage. She turned to Fendi for a metallic red, silver and black catsuit worn with matching over-the-knee boots and an intarsia cape made from upcycled fur.

Beyoncé fully embraced her lovingly dubbed title Queen Bey with a number of bee-themed looks, one of Mugler’s Casey Cadwallader featuring a metallic corset inspired by a 1997 insect-themed runway look by Thierry Mugler, complete with an antennae headpiece. As a Tiffany & Co. ambassador, Beyoncé has donned dazzling custom jewelry to complement the look, as well as a functional earpiece encrusted with 4.5 carats of white diamonds.

On Juneteenth, she wore all-black designers, including a fully embellished red, white, and gold bodysuit by up-and-coming female London designer Feben, an elegant ruby ​​dress by recently appointed Ferragamo creative director Maximilian Davis, and a bold red bodysuit with belt and buckle detailing. by Ibrahim Kamara from Off White.

She also collaborates with designers rooted in the places she performs, recently debuting an ethereal, exoskeleton-inspired look by Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen for her show in Amsterdam. Which begs the question: Which North American designers might she see on this next stage of her tour? If she stays true to her wardrobe blueprint, Canadian designers may grace the stage. We can only hope.

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