Just as she sings in the song “ALIEN SUPERSTAR,” Queen Bey is a “mastermind in haute couture.” Beyoncé kicked off her highly anticipated Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday. She belted out favorite hit tracks and was decked out in the most surrealist and club-ready fashions from the industry’s top designers, courtesy of stylist Shiona Turini.
The record-breaking Grammy winner began the night wearing a custom Alexander McQueen gunmetal bodysuit with silver bugle beads and “crystal anatomical embroidery,” according to the brand. The silhouette featured strong shoulders and sculptural accents at the hips.
When she sang “PLASTIC ON THE SOFA” and ” Naughty Girl” — a throwback from her very first solo studio album Dangerously in Love — Beyoncé emerged from a gigantic silver scallop shell, like Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, wearing a bedazzled custom Loewe bodysuit by creative director Jonathan Anderson. Inspired by a creation from house’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection, the crystalized catsuit featured hands with a red manicure, wrapped around Beyoncé‘s figure.
The songstress embraced intergalactic, space-aged style in a custom David Koma look inspired by ensembles found in the designer’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection. Beyoncé adorned a lavender and neon green high-neck leotard with a marching wrap skirt, featuring a swirling print reminiscent of the inner workings of an agate stone or the Northern lights. The superstar teamed her outfit with matching metallic knee-high boots and a shining silver iridescent jacket with large, chandelier earrings to sing her hit single, “Break My Soul.”
Next, she slipped into a custom silver asymmetrical leotard, fit for an “ALIEN SUPERSTAR.” Equipped with a metallic silver plate emblazoned on her torso, the creation was designed by artistic director of Courrèges, Nicolas Di Felice. Beyoncé teamed her look with Tiffany & Co. jewels and custom GEDEBE thigh-high boots.
Eventually, Beyoncé changed into a pearl-encrusted custom Balmain corset, designed by longtime collaborator Olivier Rousteing. The musician has yet to wear a creation from her recent collection with the French fashion house — though we do have 56 more stops to go.
The star continued her long love of Thierry Mugler, and wore an iteration of the late designer’s robot creation first seen on his Fall/Winter 1995 Couture runway, as well as the insect antenna look as seen in the Spring/Summer 1997 Couture collection. She teamed it all with a custom Casey Cadwallader-designed bodysuit.
Of course, Beyoncé went all out for the grand finale and hopped on the back of a giant, Studio 54-style silver bejeweled steed (as seen in the Renaissance cover art) wearing a metallic silver get-up.
Following her stint in Stockholm, Beyoncé will travel across Europe, Canada and North America, before concluding the tour on September 27 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The 2023 Renaissance World Tour marks Beyoncé’s first tour since her 2018 On the Run II Tour alongside Jay-Z, which celebrated their collaborative record Everything Is Love. Before this, her last solo headlining tour was the Formation World Tour, which took place in 2016 with music from her beloved album Lemonade.
Beyoncé dropped her first solo album in six years on July 29, with 16-tracks chock full of joyful and electrifying house music, paying homage to disco and queer club culture, and becoming the soundtrack of the summer.
