May 30, 2023 |
Calling all denizens of the Beyhive! Just as your queen descends upon London’s Tottenham Hotspur stadium for a five-night run of her Renaissance World Tour – yes, the same one that had you glued to the computer, restless, speed-clicking and trying to secure tickets for most of February – Flannels X is transforming itself into The Renaissance Flagship, an immersive extension of the tour itself. Today, the curtain rose on its 360-degree display, shape-shifting the shop floor into a mirrored oasis cut with colossal chrome monoliths like the pillars of an ancient spacecraft. Produced by Parkwood Entertainment – Beyoncé’s own film and production company, record label and management firm – the one-of-a-kind project, according to a press release, “immerses audiences deep into Renaissance’s energy and storytelling”.
If you (like me) weren’t able to bag a ticket, the good news is that you can still score some merch. Metamorphosing Flannels X into the official luxury retail partner for the Renaissance World Tour collection, the 19-piece memorabilia edit is being sold for the first time ever outside of supersized stadiums. On offer are two Flannels X exclusive tees: one says ‘Cuff It’ in honour of Bey’s Grammy Award-winning single, and the other says ‘London has a problem,’ paying homage to the tour and a rather unfortunate truth. Other items include a silver jacket, the iconic Heated oversized fan, a matching Green Screen hoodie and trousers, and a booty short and bionic-inspired zip-up hoodie set with the colloquial word ‘Thique’ emblazoned across their behinds.
While some die-hard fans have spent the past ten months on their knees, begging Queen Bey to drop some sort of visual accompaniment to her Act I:Renaissance album and tour (we want a film!) the globally fêted icon doesn’t seem all that keen to concede. However, a supplementary antidote has arrived at Flannels X and it’s an 80-page self-published tome overflowing with eye-popping, exclusive imagery offering a glimpse into the visuals and inspiration for the tour.
Moving past the monoliths, a piercing preview of Beyoncé’s regal couture collection for Balmain, co-designed with Olivier Rousteing, is on view. Making its dazzling debut in March, it marks the first time a Black woman had ever overseen the couture offering from a historic Parisian fashion house. Bow down! At Flannels X, an extraordinary selection of twelve of the looks – inspired by her seventh studio album – are on display for all eyes to indulge in. Rife with striking bespoke gowns and gilded accessories, feathered or crystallised, velvet or fur, every look is fit for a queen – or in this case, Queen Bey.
Branching off from the couture component, a three-piece, limited-edition product extension, entitled Renaissance: Beyoncé with Balmain, is likewise available for purchase at the Oxford Street flagship. Drawing inspiration from the couture collection, an oversized tee, dropped-shoulder hoodie and giant moniker-emblazoned tote are debuting as a world exclusive to Flannels X and are available only for the duration of the flagship take-over.
As you shop, unfolding beneath your feet the Flannels X basement becomes an immersive, multimedia chasm; a full-throttle, floor-to-ceiling digital display depicting Beyoncé in cyber-future facial accessories as the album reverberates off-the screen-covered walls and back through your body. Now that’s meta.
The Flannels X Renaissance Flagship is open to the public from today until June 5, so “stack [your] money fast and go”. But before you do, all hail Queen Bey!
Photography by Kris Humphreys for The Renaissance Flagship at Flannels X Oxford Street.
