A wee little time ago Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline Coachella, otherwise known as Beychella 2018. The incredible performance combined the talents of hundreds of African American dancers and musicians, dressed in marching band uniforms inspired by America’s historically black universities.
Undoubtedly and with Bey being Bey, the outfits were also a ginormous factor of the performance and the queen delivered with outfit after outfit in collaboration with Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing.
In particular, fans loved the Black Power Shield which proudly showed key black power symbols – the Black Panther logo, Queen Nefertiti to represent black regal woman of the past, the raised fist of resistance and solidarity, and the Bee to symbolise her fans who unite under the name, Beehive.
Tomorrow, Balmain are launching a three-piece Balmain x Beyoncé collection with proceeds going to the United Negro College Fund. Beyoncé had previously donated $100,000 to four historically black colleges after her y’huge Coachella set.
The collection is made up of the iconic yellow hoodie as well as the pink one, and a black t-shirt with a similar university-inspired design on it.
In a feature with farshun gods Vogue, Balmain creative director Rousteing said “The donation was the main goal of this collaboration”.
“We don’t forget where we come from. This is really, really important—I come from an orphanage, you know. I think there is something really emotional about our collaboration.”
The three-piece Balmain x Bey collection will launch tomorrow in where else but Paris’ flagship Balmain store but then it’ll be available for sale on their and Bey’s website July 14.
Alright – I’m going to do this real quick ‘cos it’ll sting – the t-shirts are $290 and the hoodies are between $550 – $1,790.
I mean… it is Christmas in July.
You can suss the collection, here.
If you’re one of the gazillion Australians currently living life in Europe, particularly Paris, but also don’t have an easy $290 lying around then the Louvre are running free APES**T music video art tours. They may be in French but that can’t stop an impromptu photo shoot.
