Beyonce Lookbook FINAL

THE 2022

GRAMMYS

Lookbook

BEYONCE

By: Caitlin White, Uproxx Pop Music Critic

RIHANNA | DOJA CAT | CARDI B | MEG THE STALLION

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2002

Destiny’s Child performed with Alejandro Sanz in matching sheer black gowns

Way back before Beyonce was Queen B or Mrs. Carter, she was the lead singer and brightest star of Houston’s most beloved girl group, Destiny’s Child. Twenty years ago at the tender age of 20, Bey, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams performed the 2000 hit single "Quisiera Ser” alongside Spanish musician Alejandro Sanz. All three of Destiny’s children wore matching long, lacy black dresses with thigh-high slits and sheer bodices. Though there’s little information to be found on the designer of these dresses, back in the day, Beyonce’s mother Miss Tina Knowles did plenty of costume making for the girls, so it’s likely she was involved. Even today, these gowns are timeless and the slight variations in sleeve and neckline helped each woman’s personality shine through, with Beyonce’s lowcut neckline an indicator of her future sex appeal. And while the girls slayed the performance look, their ‘90s-inspired sheer, glittery dresses on the red carpet feel a little dated — though you have to keep in mind, at the time, these girls were just a couple of wide-eyed Texas teenagers, not international divas.

Beyonce performs with The Purple One, Prince himself — and wins five Grammys

2004

2010

Beyonce brings the drama in Versace with “If I Were A Boy” and a brief Alanis Morrissette cover

Things have changed once more for Bey and this year she’s rocking a real designer for her red carpet look. This fitted, embroidered Stéphane Rolland gown was a whole new look for Bey, who’d gone more toward bright colors, sheer fabrics, and sparkles. Showing up on the red carpet in a thick, cream, fitted dress with sleeves was the perfect contrast to her performance costume later on. Taking the stage to give a searing rendition of her I Am… Sasha Fierce standout “If I Was A Boy,” Bey flipped the script and wore a metallic, short black dress by Versace that had an extremely short flared skirt. She led a crew of black-clad riot police to the stage as a callback to the law enforcement storyline from the video and they flanked Bey as she belted out the gender-swapped meditation on emotional distance and infidelity. Come for the Beyonce song, stay for her interpolation of Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know,” a mid-song intermission that she nailed by incorporating her own kneeling bout of glam-rock headbanging and hair-flipping. That’s why the Versace skirt had to be so short, so it wouldn’t interfere with this dramatic moment.

2014

2017

A very pregnant Beyonce performed a Lemonade track and gave a very moving acceptance speech for her Best Urban Contemporary Album win — that we all knew should’ve been for Album Of The Year

This year, Beyonce’s style was all about the belly. Since her pregnancy seemed fairly unexpected — she had to pull out of headlining Coachella, for starters — a few were skeptical that she shouldn’t be performing while that far along. But this is Beyonce, she can do anything. Peter Dundas helped Beyonce pull off the “Love Drought” performance in a golden-yellow gown with hand-embroidered detailing of her own face, a halo crown, and those twin babies on full display. Stepping out after the performance in another Dundas creation, this one a plunging, sparkly red gown, she wasn’t shy about her growing belly. And with those two gowns, the former Roberto Cavalli creative director and head of Emilio Pucci launched his own namesake brand. What better way to launch than on the walking billboard that is Beyonce? Bey also picked up two Grammys that night, though her loss to Adele for Album Of The Year has gone down in history as one of the worst snubs in Grammys history. One thing is for sure: No one has ever looked this good while losing that coveted award. Ever.

A lot can change in just two years, and Beyonce was coming into her own as a solo star at the 2004 show. Her debut solo album, Dangerously In Love, had just been released, and she picked up a whopping five Grammys (!) at this show. Gracing the red carpet in a gold gown designed by — who else, Tina Knowles — she swapped it out later for a short, hot-pink dress that felt very flapper-inspired with long, loose curls. Let’s face it: If you’re performing next to Prince, The Purple One himself, then you’ve got to bring that showgirl energy. Beyonce rose to the occasion, bringing her fiercest self and then some for a medley that encompassed “Purple Rain,” “Baby I’m A Star,” and of course, a “Crazy In Love” interlude that transitioned directly into “Let’s Go Crazy.” Beyonce would take the stage again later in the evening to perform “Dangerously In Love” and we’ll be skipping right over her questionable blue and silver gown for that performance because hey, love makes you do crazy things. At least she came correct for Prince and at least we can say for that year’s red carpet, Miss Tina got it right.

That “wet look” for “Drunk In Love” and the steamiest Beyonce performance to date

After the surprise release of her iconic self-titled album, Beyonce was suddenly on a whole other playing field. She proved this time and again during the ‘On The Run’ tour behind the record, a joint venture with her husband Jay-Z, but nothing cemented the power of this record like their Grammys performance. Her Nichole de Carle bodysuit was just spicy enough to set the stage for a steamy performance and the dots on her fishnets expertly mimicked the tiny dots on Jay’s suit jacket. The best part about the couple’s style that year, though, was how much fun it looked like they were having. Glamor aside, happiness always fits like a glove. Speaking of gloves, the red carpet look that preceded her performance was a floral, form-fitting Michael Costello gown in nude and white with a flared hem. Once again, the stark contrast between the red carpet look and the performance costume was a black and white affair that offset both looks.

As the reigning queen of pop, hip-hop, and R&B, there are few realms of pop culture Beyonce doesn’t touch on. Whether it’s an on-location performance opening the Oscars ceremony in Compton, another night slaying on the Grammys stage, or pretty much any red carpet she attends, when it comes to fashion, what Beyonce wears is a capital E event. Any time she leaves the house or even sees fit to share her fit for the night on Instagram, the internet flocks to gaze and copy her look. And who can blame them? For years now, Beyonce has been defining her personal style and influencing culture in the process. Particularly on the Grammys red carpet and stage, where Bey has been a fixture for close to two decades, her style and performance looks have been essential to the show. That’s why we’ve decided to take a look back at Beyonce’s Grammys style over the years, highlighting some of her most memorable moments — and the designers she chose to collaborate with — while building into the powerhouse she’s become today.