The things we do for Beyoncé: a saga in silver
By: Lydia Ochieng
Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour hit Vancouver on September 11, 2023; and it was more than just a concert. It was a glittery, sparkling, silver wave of positive energy fueled by the star-power of a pop culture sensation – the queen bee, Beyoncé.
It was magical and, yes, I was in attendance and happy to be my sister’s plus one for the evening.
Virgo season
“I know where you’re going,” a woman called out to me on the street. She complimented me on my outfit, and I thanked her. My sister and I were easily recognized as fans in the area for the show. Others waved to us as they dined on a patio before the show. Maybe they too would soon be shouting the lyrics to Heated, trying their hand at the mute challenge, and showering the one-and-only Blue Ivy with the loudest cheers and applause of the night.
Upwards of 50 000 people were downtown for the show, and the result was that the streets were sprinkled with people decked out in silver on a gorgeous sunny day. Rhinestones, sequins, glitter; the fans had understood the assignment.
Why silver? Our favourite Virgo, Beyoncé, has a birthday in September and her simple birthday-month wish was for her beloved fans to come to the show in their “most fabulous silver fashions” between August 23 and September 22 for Virgo season. “We’ll surround ourselves in a shimmering human disco ball each night. Everybody mirroring each other’s joy,” she wrote in an Instagram story and on her website on the 23rd of August.
A dress’s demise
Little did Beyoncé know, I had already spent months picking my outfit for the show. The ankle length, long sleeved, ruched KITRI bodycon dress that I had painstakingly procured for the event had instantly become redundant. Brown, orange and blue ombré would not do. The dress was immediately relieved of its duties.
My disappointment was quickly replaced with the joy of a new Beyoncé-related mission: The best ever head-to-toe silver outfit.
I searched high and low as the big day approached; Online and in-person – both new and thrifted.
Shoppers at the mall gravitated toward racks of silver, as I hunted at Zara. I sensed an air of rivalry as I grabbed the pieces I had scouted out online, and made my way to the dressing rooms.
Were these people going to Beyoncé?
Was there enough silver in the city to go around?
Days passed, and my anxious excitement grew. What would I wear?
Mission Accomplished
Well, it all came together with a bit of help.
The final ensemble featured:
- Metallic silver pants from Simons that my sister picked up for me in two sizes while I was at work so I could try them on at home because I had run out of time. (Thanks, Cindy!)
- A silver sequinned shacket, ordered from Steve Madden
- A metallic silver strapless bustier top from Zara
- And the pièce de resistance, a silver sequinned beret that I ordered from Amazon
I was my most glammed-up self at that concert, had an amazing time, and left with memories that I know will stay with me for a lifetime. I have felt the warmth of 50000+ Beyoncé fans, and there is no going back.
And so, today, I am waiting with bated breath for Beyoncé to drop new music (Act III, anyone?) so I can have a chance to do it all again. Even given my poor dress’s fate, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Photo by Cindy Ochieng.
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