British Vogue Went Backstage On Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour
Social media has provided extensive coverage of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour thus far. The stellar vocals, cowboy hat-clad attendees and epic dance routines have dominated feeds since Queen B first stepped onto the stage in Stockholm on 10 May, but the happenings backstage have stayed largely out the public eye – until now.
Exclusively for Vogue, photographer Rafael Pavarotti ventured behind the scenes during her explosive London performances, to capture the mood before, during and after her breathtaking sets. “The live energy is incomparable,” he says of the one-of-a-kind assignment. “It literally was something unique that I’ve never seen or felt before.”
The photographer helped to shape the early Renaissance visuals with his July 2022 cover shoot for British Vogue, featuring a resplendent Bey astride a horse, wearing a peacock-feathered Harris Reed halo. But photographing the star in work mode was an entirely different kind of brief. “Watching her live is very different: she has a transcendent energy so powerful that it is surreal to experience in person,” he says.
The Vogue shoot was a history-making fashion moment in itself, and Renaissance was yet another style win for Bey: the fashion concert to end all fashion concerts. “It was always a surprise for me when she came out of the dressing room, looking extremely marvellous,” says Pavarotti, who witnessed first-hand the multiple costume changes (opera gloves! Catsuits! Crystals!) that were planned and executed with as much precision as her choreography.
With the help of Beyoncé’s official photographer Mason Poole (an invaluable guide), who “already understood all the spots, her movements and timings”, Pavarotti was a fly on the wall as the singer took audiences on a journey through her greatest hits, from albums Renaissance to 4 and back again. “It was really beautiful to see all the magic happening so close,” he says, praising the meticulous attention to detail and organisation of her team. “This was the first time I had this kind of experience in my life, it was mesmerising and a lot of fun.”
In one particularly memorable moment, Pavarotti had just seconds to click the shutter when the singer laid herself inside a gargantuan shell. The resulting image became one of his favourite shots. His position backstage also allowed him to capture a powerful frame of her levitating confetti finale from behind. “It was like I was having the same vision that she had, of those thousands of people.”
Beyond the singer’s takeover at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, audiences across Europe have marvelled at the exquisite tour wardrobe she’s debuted at every show. “We created pieces that were visually delicate but also durable,” says designer David Koma, who made the bespoke printed minidress seen in Pavarotti’s portfolio, while fellow London-based talent Roksanda Ilincic “brought out her fearless charisma that we, as women, all admire and adore so much” with her sculptural electric blue gown.
Off-White’s art and image director Ib Kamara reveals he was “WhatsApping like crazy” after watching Beyoncé, Blue Ivy and the dance squad walk out in his custom looks at the London show, and Robert Wun felt similarly moved seeing Bey in his voluminous couture. “It felt very surreal and emotional.”
For Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, creating looks for Renaissance was another milestone in his long-standing partnership with the star. “As everyone who knows me already knows, I love a challenge. And perfecting creations that combine the best in modern Parisian couture’s savoir-faire with the needs for performances in sold-out arenas… well, believe me, that is an amazing challenge.”
Time will tell what Beyoncé will wear next, but she well and truly made her mark on Europe.
Exclusively for Vogue, photographer Rafael Pavarotti ventured behind the scenes during her explosive London performances, to capture the mood before, during and after her breathtaking sets. “The live energy is incomparable,” he says of the one-of-a-kind assignment. “It literally was something unique that I’ve never seen or felt before.”
The photographer helped to shape the early Renaissance visuals with his July 2022 cover shoot for British Vogue, featuring a resplendent Bey astride a horse, wearing a peacock-feathered Harris Reed halo. But photographing the star in work mode was an entirely different kind of brief. “Watching her live is very different: she has a transcendent energy so powerful that it is surreal to experience in person,” he says.
The Vogue shoot was a history-making fashion moment in itself, and Renaissance was yet another style win for Bey: the fashion concert to end all fashion concerts. “It was always a surprise for me when she came out of the dressing room, looking extremely marvellous,” says Pavarotti, who witnessed first-hand the multiple costume changes (opera gloves! Catsuits! Crystals!) that were planned and executed with as much precision as her choreography.
With the help of Beyoncé’s official photographer Mason Poole (an invaluable guide), who “already understood all the spots, her movements and timings”, Pavarotti was a fly on the wall as the singer took audiences on a journey through her greatest hits, from albums Renaissance to 4 and back again. “It was really beautiful to see all the magic happening so close,” he says, praising the meticulous attention to detail and organisation of her team. “This was the first time I had this kind of experience in my life, it was mesmerising and a lot of fun.”
In one particularly memorable moment, Pavarotti had just seconds to click the shutter when the singer laid herself inside a gargantuan shell. The resulting image became one of his favourite shots. His position backstage also allowed him to capture a powerful frame of her levitating confetti finale from behind. “It was like I was having the same vision that she had, of those thousands of people.”
Beyond the singer’s takeover at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, audiences across Europe have marvelled at the exquisite tour wardrobe she’s debuted at every show. “We created pieces that were visually delicate but also durable,” says designer David Koma, who made the bespoke printed minidress seen in Pavarotti’s portfolio, while fellow London-based talent Roksanda Ilincic “brought out her fearless charisma that we, as women, all admire and adore so much” with her sculptural electric blue gown.
Off-White’s art and image director Ib Kamara reveals he was “WhatsApping like crazy” after watching Beyoncé, Blue Ivy and the dance squad walk out in his custom looks at the London show, and Robert Wun felt similarly moved seeing Bey in his voluminous couture. “It felt very surreal and emotional.”
For Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, creating looks for Renaissance was another milestone in his long-standing partnership with the star. “As everyone who knows me already knows, I love a challenge. And perfecting creations that combine the best in modern Parisian couture’s savoir-faire with the needs for performances in sold-out arenas… well, believe me, that is an amazing challenge.”
Time will tell what Beyoncé will wear next, but she well and truly made her mark on Europe.
