Beyoncé’s seventh album Renaissance dropped last week, sparking a million and one thoughts and reviews. We’re not music critics, but we think the album rollout offers an interesting take on what’s going on and what’s interesting in the culture. While the record has been called a celebration of club music and its origins, the fashion still manages to find its way into the lyrics.
In “Heated”, she sings “I got a lot of bands/I got a lot of Chanel on me”, later adding, “I got a lot of style/I got a lot of Tiffany on me.” Dropping the name of luxury labels as an abbreviated signifier of wealth and status is of course nothing new – on the album’s closest “Summer Renaissance” she calls “Versace, Bottega, Prada, Balenciaga , Vuitton, Dior, Givenchy” in short succession, brands that have become part of our pop culture canon. No matter where you live in the world, you probably know these names. If you don’t know who the creative designer is, you understand what he represents: luxury, taste, fame, Fashion (yes, in italics and with a capital F).
There’s also a visual component to the album, and since it’s Beyoncé we’re talking about, that’s almost as important as the music itself, but the images tell a slightly different story than the songs. The photos provide insight into her own tastes, and perhaps more importantly, into what the culture today understands as transmitting forward-looking style. The stunning ornate chrome bodysuit Beyoncé wears on the album cover isn’t from a luxury brand, but is made by Florida-born, Los Angeles-based artist Nusi Quero. She also enlisted Giannina Azar and Natalia Fedner, two new names for us here at vogueto shape the body chains that have become emblematic of this new visual persona.
Red-carpet stalwarts Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana are on board, along with rising star Christopher John Rogers, and Parisian fashion houses Schiaparelli and Alaïa, which have recently been relaunched by creative directors Daniel Roseberry and Pieter Mulier. CJR, Schiap and Alaia have become shorthand for a buzzing new “if you know, you know” energy; their visual lexicon synonymous with today’s most avant-garde it-girls and celebrities. Beyoncé has worn Schiaparelli several times since Roseberry’s debut in 2019 and has also been seen wearing Christopher John Rogers.