World, meet Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, the queen of leaving social media gagging.

Today (March 24), the multihyphenate icon revealed herself as the cover for the April issue of Vogue France on Instagram. The inspiration behind such artwork was RENAISSANCE, her seventh studio album. Beyoncé shared that she partnered with Balmain‘s creative director, Olivier Rousteing, to bring the theme to life in couture. She praised the brilliant artist in her cover story as she recounted their journey to unveiling the statement pieces.

“Olivier is a dream collaborator and a constantly innovating and evolving creative,” the “CUFF IT” singer said. “All that he has done as a Black designer in breaking down and opening doors has been inspiring. From our very first meeting to his designs over the years for my performances and appearances, I knew one day I would work with him on a collection. I am so proud of what we created and the synergy that formed between our teams.”

Balmain says Renaissance Couture is the first-ever couture collection “created in collaboration with and exclusively for a Balmain muse.” The Grammy Award-winning songstress’ latest album, RENAISSANCE, inspired the fashion pieces.

The collection features 16 signature designs, each corresponding to a song from the album’s tracklist. Last year, Beyoncé shocked the world when she released her fun, sexy, house-inspired body of work. The album was a different take on sound compared to her previous albums. 

With RENAISSANCE, the “Break My Soul” singer drew inspiration from the ballroom culture, home to members of the LGBTQ+ community. In February 2023, Beyoncé announced her “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR.” Starting in May, the 41-city run will stop in Houston, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, and Miami. At the 2023 Grammys, a few days after her announcement, Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE won several awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Music Album.

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