To reach Beyoncé’s level of celebrity, nothing can be done by half measures. Fashion has played an enormous role in solidifying the performer’s multi-platinum, Grammy Award-scooping music career. From the early synchronized looks of Destiny’s Child, meticulously planned by Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, to resplendent red carpet gowns and conceptual tour outfits, Beyoncé’s stardom has become synonymous with her polished sense of style.
Over the course of her career, Beyoncé’s sartorial expression has certainly evolved, but the importance she has placed on fashion has never faltered.
In 2001, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams had just won their first Grammy together as Destiny’s Child. Even Beyoncé’s off-stage look didn’t skimp on the bling, with the rising star pictured here wearing a diamante belt and embellished beret. Newsmakers/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesBeyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, designed all of the eye-catching, matching outfits Destiny’s Child became known for, including the glittering green and gold lace cut-out dresses the girl group wore for their 2001 Grammy performance. Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty ImagesDuring her first solo tour in 2003 following the release of ‘Dangerously in Love,’ Beyoncé wore a Bollywood-inspired red and gold embroidered bralet and low-waisted harem pants.
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Beyoncé embodied old Hollywood glamour at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 wearing a black velvet Atelier Versace mermaid gown.
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Fashion at the BET Awards in 2006 was quintessential noughties. While performing on stage with Jay-Z, two years before they married, Beyoncé matched her silver tube-top and skirt with a constellation of body glitter that ran up the side of her body. Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesThe jointed metal glove that Beyoncé debuted in the music video for ‘Single Ladies’ in 2008 soon became closely associated with the hit track. The creation of jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, the glove reappeared the following year for Beyoncé’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesAlthough photos of Beyoncé’s actual wedding dress from her 2008 nuptials are scarce, the beyhive were pacified by the decadent Baracci bridal gown the artist wore in the 2011 music video for ‘Best Thing I Never Had.’ In 2013, the costume resurfaced online for an eye-watering $30,000. Beyoncé/VEVO/YouTubeThe 2012 Met Gala was a night to remember in part thanks to Beyoncé’s dramatic lace haute couture Givenchy gown, complete with an indigo train of ombré feathers.
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This white lace number was the dress that launched one designer’s career. Beyoncé’s look for the 2014 Grammy Awards not only landed the singer on several best-dressed lists, but catapulted Los Angeles-based designer Michael Costello into the spotlight, too. Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesFor the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016, Beyoncé wore a custom leather bodysuit and jacket by Dsquared2. The decorative, cross-body ammo belts were said to be a nod to Michael Jackson’s outfit for his 1993 Super Bowl performance. Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesBeyoncé’s electrifying 2015 Met Gala look was another Givenchy creation. Candy-colored rhinestones pooled at the train of the singer’s sheer gown. The custom dress was designed by Riccardo Tisci and enhanced by Lorraine Schwartz’s jewels. Evan Agostini/Invision/APIn keeping with the Met Gala’s 2016 ‘Fashion In An Age Of Technology’ theme, Givenchy dressed Beyoncé in a gloriously dystopian flesh-toned dress. The latex skinsuit was embellished by a number of pearls, whose supposed exorbitant cost sparked an online debate. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesBeyoncé’s ethereal 2016 MTV Video Music Awards ensemble was the work of Italian designer Francesco Scognamiglio. A structured, feathery collar was built into the mint-hued gown, giving Beyoncé an angelic, winged silhouette.
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The Roberto Cavalli dress Beyoncé wore in the 2016 music video for ‘Hold Up’ has gone down in sartorial history. The tiered chiffon gown was hot off the 2016 Fall-Winter runway and has since spawned a thousand copycats in its iconic chartreuse color. Beyoncé/VEVO/YouTubeBeyoncé’s pregnancy in 2017 became a defining feature of her sun goddess-inspired outfit for the 59th Grammy Awards. Peter Dundas designed the embellished garment with baby bump in mind, drawing on African iconography, as well as Gustav Klimt’s decorative Art Nouveau paintings to create the gilded garb. Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesFor her 2018 performance in Glasgow, Scotland, Beyoncé enlisted Dundas’ dramatic eye yet again. The purple silk gazar cape enveloped the singer on stage, and was paired with a glimmering gold and silver mini-dress. Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesBeyoncé made history in 2018 by being the first Black woman to headline Coachella Music Festival, which fans renamed ‘Beychella’ following her two-hour performance. The singer burned through five custom Balmain outfits during the production, including a Balmain Greek Life hoodie paired with iridescent Louboutin fringed boots. Larry Busacca/Getty ImagesWhile performing at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 2018, Beyoncé wore a printed baroque look, complete with a hooded cape, from Atelier Versace.
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In 2019, the singer wore a custom Alexander McQueen tuxedo dress — matching with daughter Blue Ivy — decked out in crystal chandelier embroidery. The dazzling look for the ‘Lion King’ premiere was loaded up even more with a dozen spiraling earrings and several layers of necklaces, all provided by Lorraine Schwartz. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesThe beyhive may have been deprived of Beyoncé’s red carpet looks as of late, but the 2020 visual album ‘Black is King’ gave the artist the space to flex her fashion credentials once again. Here, Beyoncé dons the Marine Serre moon print bodysuit from spring-summer 2021. Parkwood Entertrainment/Disney+
