Beyoncé Wore An Aussie Designer’s Work For Her Renaissance Album But Never Actually Paid For It

beyonce bodysuit brisbane designer bethany cordwell

A Brisbane-based costume designer has had her work platformed by one of the biggest names in the music biz after Beyoncé herself wore her bodysuit for the album artwork of her latest album, Renaissance.

Bethany Cordwell is a costumier for the Queensland Ballet and had “no words” when her work was modelled by THE Mrs Knowles-Carter.

Cordwell told the ABC she couldn’t believe that Beyoncé picked out her design to be highlighted among a range of top designers in the album’s art.

“It’s unimaginable, but I’m just so happy that it happened the way it did, and I’m so excited that’s how people are really noticing my work — through her,” she said.

According to Cordwell’s Instagram, she created the piece in 2020 for her “Warped Observance” series earlier this year. The body suit — along with several other pieces — uses psychedelic, hypnotic designs formed out of hand-cut scales made from plastic folders. It’s all mind-bendingly beautiful.

“The black and white scales are actually cut-up document folders that were all individually cut and individually sewn onto a bodysuit I created in that hypnotic pattern,” Cordwell told the ABC.

In an interview with Brissy radio station B105 on Tuesday morning, Cordwell said she still hasn’t been paid what she’s owed for the stunning piece and her hard work.

“The plan is for it to be paid and they will keep it,” she said. “They still haven’t paid for it yet.”

Fingers crossed Queen Bey comes through and pays her bills, bills, bills so she can pop that bodysuit in her (assumedly massive) wardrobe and trot it out on tour. Imagine if she wore an Aussie designer’s garb at a show in Brisbane? I would simply cease to exist.

You gotta do it, Beyoncé. I simply demand you wear the Officeworks-couture fit on your next Australian tour.

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