Heads Up: Beyoncé Wore 6 Striking Outfits Last Night

Beyoncé headed to South Africa to support a cause close to her heart: the Global Citizen Festival, which honored the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth and raised money for a slew of charities. Beyoncé wore six different outfits for her performance, each as jaw-dropping as the next.
But as we've come to expect from Queen Bey, there was much more to the looks than meets the eye. Mary Katrantzou created a symbolic outfit consisting of a bodysuit, over-the-knee boots, and coat that spoke volumes beyond their sartorial dominance. "Her coat has the 54 countries of Africa mapped out and on each country, there is a different embroidery representing its diversity," Katrantzou wrote on Instagram.
Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, also took the opportunity to revisit the story behind what Beyoncé wore when she met Mandela back in 2004. "We decided two hours before the finale with Mr. Mandela, that she should have an authentic African fabric dress," Knowles wrote. "Ty Hunter and me ran to the local market found this fabric fought traffic and drove back."
Knowles went on to explain that she created the look in just 45 minutes, and it miraculously fit. How's that for a behind-the-scenes story? Scroll down to see everything Beyoncé wore to the Global Citizen Festival and to revisit her 2004 look.
On Beyoncé: Balmain
On Beyoncé: Esteban Cortazar custom dress
On Beyoncé: Enhle Mbali Maphumulo and Quiteria & George collaboration
On Beyoncé: Atelier Versace jumpsuit
On Beyoncé: Mary Katrantzou custom outfit
Her 2004 Look
Next up: See which actress just got married in a pink slip dress.

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.
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