One thing we know about Beyoncé: she will always have a fashion collaboration in the works. One day after breaking up with clothing giant Adidas due to declining sales of her Ivy Park clothing line, the Grammy Award-winning artist revealed on Friday that she is collaborating with Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of French fashion house Balmain, on a 16-outfit collection called a “wearable album.”
The singer and designer have collaborated to produce an exclusive Haute Couture line for the French fashion brand based on each song on the album. One day after it was revealed that Bey and Adidas had “mutually agreed to part ways,” the 16-piece Renaissance Couture by Beyoncé x Balmain collection made its premiere on the cover of French Vogue on Friday, March 24.
The collaboration, according to Rousteing, consists of 16 runway-inspired outfits that were created “hand in hand with Beyoncé herself, dedicated to the album’s 16 tracks.” Each outfit is inspired by a Renaissance song; for example, “Alien Superstar” features a glittering bodysuit with a dramatic headpiece and sunglasses. On the other hand, “Heated” is a rhinestone-studded, form-fitting black hooded dress. The pale pink dress with the gold breastplate and matching golden cap that Beyoncé wore in an Instagram photo following the Grammys is one of the pieces from the collection that she has previously been spotted wearing. There are plenty of dramatic sculptural moments in the collection, such as hammered metal breastplates, 3D-printed bustiers, feather fireworks, luxe velvets, meticulously embroidered gowns, and a wearable crystal chandelier. It’s all about the details, right down to Beyoncé’s autograph on the bottom of a pair of platform heels.
“The historical elements of this collaboration leave me speechless,” remarked Rousteing. “This appears to be the first time a Black woman has been in charge of a prestigious Parisian fashion house’s couture collection. The first Black guy to ever handle all the collections at a prestigious
Parisian house collaborated on those designs. Let’s hope that those two firsts serve as an inspiration to many more. Thank you, Beyoncé, for writing the contagious, upbeat music that catalyzed this trip and for working with me to ensure that the collection we created precisely captured the strength of those compositions.”
Beyoncé referred to Rousteing as “a dream collaborator and a continually innovative and expanding artist” in a statement. She continued, “Everything that he has accomplished as a Black designer in breaking down and opening doors has been motivating. I knew I would collaborate with him on a collection one day from the moment we first met, as evidenced by the designs he created for me over the years for my performances and appearances. I am
incredibly happy with what we accomplished and the chemistry that developed among our teams.”
It’s impossible to predict where the looks will go, but given the lack of information about Beyoncé’s next global tour, it’s safe to assume that some of the stunning outfits (or more dance-ready versions of them) may be what fans see when she performs this summer.