If you're as obsessed with Beychella as we are, you need to read this...
There's no doubting that Coachella 2018 was all about Beyoncé. There's also no doubting that one of the main factors that made Beyoncé's performances so completely epic (apart from, you know, her incredible voice, iconic songs, relentless dance moves and powerful message), was her jaw-dropping wardrobe.
Beyoncé wore 10 outfits over the course of the two performances, and each and every one of them was created by Olivier Rousteing - the 32-year-old creative director of French fashion house, Balmain.
But what was it like creating Beyoncé's Coachella outfits? How much say did Bey have? And how long did it all take?
Here's everything you need to know...
1. It was Beyoncé's stylist, Marni Senofonte, who brought Olivier on board
Olivier told Vogue that Marni approached him after Balmain's AW18 show, explaining: “Marni told me that the shows were all about survivors and that B was looking for something in a military style,
“Our silhouettes and our sort of Mad Max, futuristic take on military looks for Fall were a perfect fit.”
2. Beyoncé was REALLY heavily involved in the creative process
In another interview with Dazed and Confused, Olivier explained that he couldn't take full credit for the looks, telling them: "Beyoncé was not just involved, she is the master of having that strong vision and making sure that every details is right. I want to really express the fact that it's a real collaboration, it's a real exchange of a vision.
"It has been like a real exchange of ideas and not only clothes, it was a shared vision. When you ask me how much was she involved, she was definitely involved as much as I was, and that's what I love."
On the same topic, he told Vogue: “If I am being totally transparent, it is very, very rare in this kind of process to have so much communication with the artist and the ones closest to her on her team.
“I was able to be in the room with her and she would give me direct feedback about how the lighting should hit the clothes, what the music had to emphasize about each look— I never had to guess what to do next.”
3. Olivier didn't just create outfits for Beyoncé...
Obviously Queen Bey wasn't on stage alone, so as well as creating her costumes, Olivier also had to make outfts for her whole crew - including Kelly, Michelle and over 200 backing dancers and band members.
Just hearing Olivier talk about this is totally overwhelming. He told Dazed: "We had to watch every single detail, with the stylist and B, to make sure every single person looks right in their look.
"Yes you’re dressing Beyoncé, but you’re dressing 200 people as well, and they all have to be different because everybody is different."
4. Olivier says it was a career highlight
The acclaimed designer gushed: “I’ve been the Balmain creative director for eight years now and this is one of my most unforgettable memories,”
5. The opening look took TWO MONTHS to make!
They may have been on a three month deadline, but that didn't mean Olivier and Bey cut corners. Oh no.
Explaining why Beyoncé's opening costume took a whole two months to create, Olivier told Dazed: "It took a long time because between the capes, the hat, the bodysuit, and the jewellery, it was an entire concept of bringing a couture level to the maximum.
"I wanted her to look like a goddess, so every detail had to feel timeless. This is the outfit that people will remember from this generation, to the next ten generations; people will open books and see that outfit."
Fair enough!
6. Beyoncé has, like, REALLY high standards
Who'd have thunk it, eh?
Yes, Olivier confirmed what we all already knew, telling Dazed: “The idea was to make sure that we were super satisfied with every single detail,
“I think that she's a perfectionist."
7. The biggest challenge was creating clothes Bey could dance in
As anyone who's ever ripped a pair of skinny jeans on a night out will know - not all clothes are dance floor ready. And according to Olivier, creating clothes Bey could do her thing in was his biggest challenge.
"When you work on Beyoncé’s clothes you need to fit them to the movement she's going to do," he told Dazed.
"It's really challenging when you have to bring couture and still be relaxed. It’s something that you have to really work for a long time on it, so that it's perfect for the show."
