When Beyoncé was looking for special outfits for her Formation World Tour and BET Awards performance there was only one designer she had in mind – Julien MacDonald. Now the HELLO! Fashion blogger has opened up about his "long standing relationship" with the entertainer, and the work he put into creating her dazzling stage costumes.
Julien has designed a number of outfits for Beyoncé, including a bespoke Swarovski crystal encrusted bodysuit for her tour and the incredible fringed outfit she wore for her performance at the BET Awards at the end of June, which was so top secret even Julien didn't know anything about it.
Julien MacDonald designed Beyoncé's BET Awards costume
"I work with Beyoncé on her outfits over Skype – it's kind of funny like 'Hey, how are you?!'" Julien explained to Grazia. "But you know, she's very opinionated about what she wants. She said to me: 'I want you to think of Africa, and something I could wear dancing to an African beat.'"
The finished piece was a black bodysuit with around 30,000 black Caviar Swarovski crystals, which Julien worked on "night and day" for around three weeks.
Julien said it was "amazing" to see Beyoncé in his designs
As for how Julien felt when he saw Beyoncé wearing the stunning creation on-stage? "It's amazing when you see her dancing and moving in your designs," Julien said, adding: "Everyone who works with Beyoncé knows she loves fashion and she decides what you want to wear – it's just dependent on what she's feeling."
Although Beyoncé has many of the world's top fashion designers jumping at the chance to work with her now, she has admitted that it hasn't always been that way, with her mother Tina Knowles creating many of her outfits at the beginning of her career.
Speaking as she collected the Fashion Icon award at the CFDA Awards recently, Beyoncé gave a moving thank you to her mum for all of her support. "My mother and my uncle Johnny, God bless his soul, designed all of our first costumes and made each piece by hand, individually sewing hundreds of crystals and pearls, putting so much passion and love into every small detail," she said.
"My mother actually designed my wedding dress, my prom dress, my first CFDA Awards dress, my first Grammy dress, the list goes on and on and this to me is the true power and potential of fashion."