Beyoncé celebrated Juneteenth by wearing only Black designers on stage

6/27/23 By Kerin Tsui

Also known as “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day”, Juneteenth is an annual celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. Beyoncé expressed her respect for the holiday in her own way. 

The singer worked with a team of designers and stylists including KJ Moody, Karen Langley, British Vogue’s Julia Starr and many more to create her “tour-drobe” for her June 19 show in Amsterdam. Beyoncé is currently on her Renaissance World Tour.

The singer wrote on Instagram, “In honor of Juneteenth, everything I wore for the Renaissance World Tour tonight was created exclusively by Black designers.” 

The designers include Feben, Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo, Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, Ibrahim Kamara for Off-White, LaQuan Smith. Beyoncé also included her own designs for her clothing line Ivy Park.  

This is not the first time Beyoncé has worked with Feben. The North Korean designer is of Ethiopian heritage. She created one of Beyoncé’s stand-out looks for the Amsterdam show —- a custom glittering bodysuit in white, red, and gold. Feben first collaborated with the singer in 2020 following her 2020 Central Saint Martins MA womenswear Graduate Collection. Beyoncé commissioned Feben to create costumes for her track “Brown Skin Girl.” In an interview with Vogue, Feben says, “In a way, when you’re a Black woman, you are not treated fairly in most industries.” 

Another unforgettable look of the night was designed by Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo—-a fitted red-beaded gown. According to Vogue, “It had a sculpted waist, a square neckline, and a thigh-high slit on the left leg.” This shade of red is Maximilian Davis’ signature, a call to his heritage: Trinidad and Tobago. Red also served as the theme color for Beyoncé’s performance that night.

As the volume of Beyoncé’s Renaissance’s Tour customized looks constantly change, she puts a special page in the book marking her respect for Juenteenth and the entire history behind it.