Behind Taylor Swift’s series of hot brands, Beyoncé makes everyone watch when she appears
Audiences go to concerts not only to enjoy music, they also focus on admiring the costumes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.
From beneath a giant screen covered in pink clouds and gray mist, Beyoncé stepped onto the Renaissance World Tour stage – the ninth tour of her epic career. At every stop, she appeared in beautiful outfits, making everyone watch.
That is Alexander McQueen’s crystal-encrusted bodysuit on stage in Stockholm (Sweden), Paco Rabanne’s silver short dress in Paris (France), and Valentino’s ivory white outfit in Cardiff (Wales). In London (UK) last week, the world’s richest rapper’s wife wore a sparkling blue dress designed by Roksanda Ilinčić.
Beyoncé invested in costumes for the Renaissance World Tour. Photo: WireImage.
Besides the music, Beyoncé’s dazzling appearance is a special highlight at the three-hour concerts – with thigh-high boots, sequins and extremely delicate patterns. Her look is enhanced by a series of accompanying accessories.
According to The Guardian , the Freakum Dress singer’s dress collection is part of a broader trend in fashion. “Tourdrobe” – the outfit worn by stars on tour – is becoming a new type of catwalk show.
The music show becomes a visual feast
There are many superstars in the world responding to this trend, for example Taylor Swift. She is gearing up for the next leg of The Eras Tour , changing her outfits so much that it’s dizzying. The series of brands accompanying Swift at the concert are Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Etro, and even Ashish T-shirts printed with the singer’s lyrics.
The appeal of the outfit series caused Swift to open an exhibition displaying the costumes, props and jewelry she has used in more than a decade of her career. Last week, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York devoted an entire floor to displaying these items.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles is associated with most of Gucci’s designs during the Love On Tour , which lasts from September 2021 to July this year. Many cute outfits are taken from the Gucci x Harry Styles Ha Ha Ha campaign in December 2022.
According to The Guardian , “Tourdrobe” also sparked the trend of fans designing their own costumes to suit their idol’s concerts. Videos on social networks show fans creating their own versions of Beyoncé’s bodysuit. For the final leg of the Love On Tour , Styles fans are busy preparing colorful outfits with many patterns identical to Gucci’s original version.
Beautiful outfits of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles at a recent concert. Photo: Teen Vogue/Fashion Magazine.
Craft retail chain Hobbycraft reported a 54% increase in views of its “watermelon sticker” product on its website ahead of the Watermelon Sugar singer’s show in May. Meanwhile, Swifties competed to show off each other. their bodysuit outfits online. The hashtag #erastouroutfits has more than 692 million views across multiple platforms.
“Fans actively copy their idols’ styles, from The Beatles’ hairstyles in the 1960s, TLC’s pajama bottoms in the 1990s, to the Jean-Paul Gaultier cone bra worn by Madonna in Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990. Nowadays, more and more attention is paid to what stars wear on stage,” The Guardian commented.
Tiffany Ap, senior reporter at Business of Fashion specializing in “Tourdrobe”, believes that the audience is enjoying the moment of becoming another version of the artist. She shared: “People have not been able to experience that feeling directly for a long time, especially during the epidemic. Therefore, now is the opportunity for them to enjoy it as fully as possible.”
Easily “cheap moments” with idols
It can be said that fashion brands benefit from singers’ concerts. Roksanda Ilinčić said that after Beyoncé wore her dress, many people took notice of the design. Through social networks, the appeal of the dress spread everywhere and helped the name Ilinčić reach new heights.
“I received congratulations from friends and family, as well as from people I had never talked to,” the Serbian-born designer expressed.
David Koma, the man behind two other of Beyoncé’s expensive outfits, agrees with Ilinčić. He shared: “Their recognition is amazing. On social networks, even in print, online newspapers and through word of mouth, my outfits are very popular.”
A few months before the Renaissance World Tour , Beyoncé lost a lot of sleep coming up with outfit ideas with stylists Karen Langley and Julia Sarr-Jamois. The female singer requires outfits that are sophisticated in form but still extremely durable and beautiful. Clothes are bulky but easy to put on and take off because time is “gold”.
Small brands quickly jumped in when they saw that what Beyoncé wore was desired by the masses. They create a series of fake products at affordable prices, and of course they are consumed in a snap. Fast fashion retailers like Shein or Cider benefit the most, according to The Guardian .
“They sell products at extremely accessible prices, no more than 20 USD per item. They can meet customer needs while fashion trends have not cooled down,” said designer Koma. .
Beyoncé collaborated with Flannels to open a pop-up store selling items during the Renaissance World Tour in London, England. Photo: Kris Humphreys.
In fact, artists also benefit from the “Tourdrobe” trend. It has been noted that groups of fans of Swift’s style line up before concerts to buy merchandise. Beyoncé took a calculated step when collaborating with retailer Flannels, creating an exclusive store selling products related to the Renaissance World Tour .
Flannel’s marketing director, Beckie Stanion, said the attraction of the Renaissance World Tour was seen immediately after the show ended. “Traffic to our channels increased dramatically. Without paying for advertising, we had thousands of posts on Instagram and several other platforms, mentioning Beyoncé’s clothes.”
Speaking on The Guardian , Stanion commented that every moment of Beyoncé’s tour was the perfect intersection of music and fashion. Audiences watching the show – whether watching live or via video – not only enjoy the music but also have more fashion choices. And most of all, they can easily “cheap moments” with their idols with items at surprisingly cheap prices.
