Just when you thought Beyoncé might have run out of concepts for a truly original album rollout—Bey has come up with yet another innovation to complement her latest work, Renaissance.
The musician has partnered with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing to co-design a one-of-a-kind haute couture collection for the French house inspired by each track from the album. Called Renaissance Couture by Beyoncé x Balmain, the 16-outfit collection made its debut on the cover of French Vogue on Friday, March 24—one day after it was announced that Bey and Adidas had “mutually agreed to part ways” according to an article from the Hollywood Reporter. (The singer entered a creative partnership with the sports label back in 2018, when she re-released her Ivy Park athleisure line alongside Adidas.) The collection is a one-off, according to Balmain, and won’t be for sale. According to a statement from Rousteing for Vogue, the Balmain creative director worked “hand-in-hand with Beyoncé herself” to design the high-fashion looks for the collection after he was “blown away” by the disco-house-inflected record.
“Beyoncé advocates for freedom above all else, for freedom in today’s world,” Rousteing said. “This is a powerful voice that resonates. She speaks of diversity, of every kind of diversity, and pays tribute to the queer community, honoring house music, ballroom, and voguing balls.”
“Olivier is a dream partner and a constantly innovating and evolving designer,” Beyoncé added. “Everything he did as a Black seamstress to break down and open doors was inspirational. From our very first meeting and with the designs he has made over the years for my shows and appearances, I knew that one day I would be working with him on a collection. I am very proud of what we have created and of the synergy that has been created between our teams.”
Each of the looks corresponds with songs from Renaissance—“Alien Superstar,” for instance, is a…
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