After dressing Beyoncé for events that ranged from the Mrs. Carter Show Tour to the 2014 Grammy’s, Michael Costello’s design talents were called in once again to complete wardrobe looks for the On The Run Tour.
During the show, Beyoncé performs in two looks from Costello, one of which is a dramatic black Victorian lace bodysuit. According to Costello, the inspiration was” a very cathedral, romantic, Victorian feel” coupled with his personal music taste.
“My inspiration comes from Beyoncé because I’m a true, die-hard Beyoncé fan, but I think it’s her hair and the way that she moves—I try to use that and mimic that into the clothing. Whether it’s a sequin, a button, or a dramatic sleeve. If you see the dramatic sleeves I did for the Beyoncé lace Victorian bodysuit—the black one—I wanted something she could move in and look stunning in when she’s onstage,” Costello said.
According to the Project Runway alum, the Victorian bodysuit Beyoncé wears for the tour is a product of 72 hours of construction, followed by another 48 hours just to put the entire piece together. “I can make them in an hour or two —especially a performance piece—but that one was a little more intricate with a lot of detail, and we had to go by some really precise measurements. I just wanted to make that one extra special. So, I’d say about five days total for that one piece,” Costello says of the outfit. Of the final look, Costello said, “I had to try to think danceable. Ty was telling me, ‘be fabulous. Be who you are. Do exactly what you do—we love what you do. But, make it danceable.’ So, I think that’s the approach that I wanted to try and take for everything for her, to find a way to make it Michael Costello, for Beyoncé, for On the Run Tour, but danceable.”
