Olivia Dean wears a different opening look every night on her “The Art of Loving” tour. It’s non-negotiable. She’s a fashion girl! What’s also not up for discussion is that she’ll wear the same custom Chanel skirt during the point of the energetic show when she hits the “B” stage – a plinth positioned in the midst of the crowd, so that her adoring fans can feel all the emotion radiating from a woman so adept at dancing in heels, it puts our granny Vara pumps to shame. Some looks are too good to be treated as a one-wear wonder, and such looks are often by Chanel.
Fawning over the embroidered, feathered skirt in white washed silk in person, it’s surprising any other looks even made it onto the stage. It’s exquisite. Based on looks 21 and 22 from Matthieu Blazy’s first Métiers d’art collection, Dean’s longtime stylist Simone Beyene worked with the atelier to make a stadium-worthy version of the artistic director’s now signature “piña colada” skirts. “I like the idea of Olivia being a flower, and, to me, the skirt looks like a big flower with these beautiful petals floating on her waist, while the sequins remind me of water drops glimmering in the light,” shares Beyene. “We landed on it being white to match the stage design, and I wanted it to be stripped back and feel kind of ethereal.”
Which brings us to the top. Much back and forth was had over the silk jersey basic, which, from high up in the gods, looks like a classic white vest, but, per Blazy, is its own feat of engineering. Translation: the softest tank known to man. “It’s an emotional part of the show, so we landed on a very simple top to represent Olivia’s everyday look,” continues Beyene. “We wanted it to be glamorous, and I wanted the drama, but it still had to feel effortlessly ‘simple’. And you can never go wrong with a white vest.”
The look was commissioned following that epic Grammys night – which saw the Best New Artist enjoy another custom double-C moment in monochrome sequins and feathers – with Beyene taking a tour around Chanel’s historical Le19M craft hub to get a sense of the work that goes into a single garment. For Dean’s “The Art of Loving” ensemble, Beyene received photos and videos from the tailors working on the toile, the embroidery team behind the petal embellishments, the feather artisans, and the additional tailors bringing it to life at the end of the skirt cycle. “I’ve always wanted Olivia’s looks to read as fashion and not costumes,” adds Beyene of the “dream project”, which she approached the same way as her red-carpet work. “Stage just has a few more elements to think of.”
The tour fashion, as a whole, has been a celebration of the old-school diva darling references that have now become synonymous with Dean. Think: Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston. “Playful and timeless,” asserts Beyene, who views the popstar’s wardrobe as “modern vintage”, while staying true to her “effortless, glamorous, fun!” vibe. “Getting to dress her in both heritage brands and younger brands is super important to me.” With the global tour stretching out into the depths of summer, there are plenty more fashion surprises in store. But, as always, there will always be Chanel. We take great comfort in that.
