Over the years, singers showed us diverse stages, shows, and costumes on their tours. Each period had its own style, and every artist had a stage setup suited to their music.

Stevie Nicks redefined the stage with Fleetwood Mac back in the 70s. We still talk about Madonna’s iconic looks from 80s. Today, names like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga (and many more) combine their music with their stages, and their concerts feel like musicals.

27-year-old British artist Olivia Dean, who achieved phenomenal success with her album The Art of Loving in 2025, is on her album now and managed to impress people without massive stages.

The Art of Loving is a pop-soul album with elements of jazz and indie. Olivia Dean’s stages give a similar vibe. It is minimal yet conspicuous. The main reason is undoubtedly the stage costumes. Since 2021, Olivia Dean has worked with London-based stylist Simone Beyene.

Simone Beyene says to Dazed in 2025; she enjoys playing with and interpreting trends. About the role of storytelling, she always starts with the music and how it should look. I think it is clearly seen in Olivia Dean’s costumes. I think, Dean’s stage presence is the literal embodiment of her album. She is effortlessly chic inside glamorous gowns, and looks like a modern jazz singer. Also, She projects a soft yet strong independence who is enjoying her life. But, how do Olivia Dean and Simone Beyene manage to compose this representation?

Beyond a Single Label

She doesn’t have one brand she is working with or doesn’t just have a couple of costumes for her concerts. She has different dresses for every show and these dresses, no matter they custom or ready-to-wear, catches her vibe.

She has Clio Peppiatt wardrobe for her tour, it’s one of the brands she prefers the most. Clio Peppiatt is playful, sparkly, romantic yet minimal. Brand focuses on hand-beaded artistry, whimsical motifs, ultra-feminine looks which make the wearer feel confident. When it combines with her minimal makeup and natural hair, Olivia Dean radiates an energy bright enough to illuminate all her surroundings.

Her Clio custom wardrobe including fringes, bright colors, crystals, and engineered to catch stage lighting and shimmy along with her movement. British Vogue shares that Clio Peppiatt’s inspirations for custom dresses are Tina Turner, Cher, Diana Ross, and Josephine Baker.

Olivia Dean wore two custom Etro’s in the Milan leg of the tour. Etro is an Italian fashion house can be defined by bohemian elegance, maximalist prints and its free-spirited aesthetic. Halter neck mini dress (above) channels disco and 70s glam. It’s energetic; the material supports the feeling with its reflective structure and fringes similar to Clio’s. The second one, tulle slip dress, gives retro Hollywood vibes. It is also maximalist but more mysterious. Gold details and feathers reminds 20s Hollywood.

She is trendy yet still herself

Olivia Dean’s concert gowns don’t deviate from recent trends; on the contrary, she embraces. Her look above is butter yellow, has fringes, and asymmetric. It embodies three different trends but Just like Simone Beyene how she embraces trends, Olivia Dean is trendy in her own way. Olivia Dean still looks like her, is giving the similar vibe but also looks like 2026 yet timeless at the same time.

Movement in clothing is one of the biggest trends this year. Lightweight materials like silk, asymmetrical hemlines, and relaxed waistlines dominated the 2026 fashion shows. Green flowing Ellie Saab she wore not custom, it is from the 2026 Fall / winter Ready-to-Wear collection. It gives more bohemian energy with its drapes. Similar to other looks, the dress covered with glitter yarns and beads. Again, she looks like herself inside of trendy elements. The dresses natural shine makes Olivia Dean shine on stage as well.

She has Patterns

Olivia Dean wore fringe, rhinestones, fur, drapy fabrics, and vibrant colors. Of course, there is more but If someone were to ask what comes to mind when Olivia Dean is mentioned, this is more or less what I would say.

In the opening night of The Art of Loving Tour in the USA, Olivia Dean wore Grey Rhinestone One Shoulder Maxi Dress from self-portrait. Her Ralph Lauren gown is quite alike with her Self-Portrait look. Only Ralph Lauren is covered with Golden Rhinestones. Both catches the light and looks much shiner in the dark.

It isn’t hard to remember Olivia Dean. She catches the eye quickly, yet doesn’t tire the eyes. For this reason, it is both eye-catching and minimal. That’s why we can’t stop talking about her stage.

Dresses with a Similar Vibe

I wanted to add a few looks here that remind me of Olivia Dean—outfits that wouldn’t seem out of place if I saw her wearing them on stage.

Conclusion

Olivia Dean has her own way to impress her audience. She doesn’t need theatrical sets or stage designs. She only needs a perfect dress to tell her story and she and Simone Beyene find those dresses perfectly.

References:

https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/66685/1/simone-beyene-nike-style-by-stylist-mabel-olivia-dean

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/olivia-dean-clio-peppiatt-tour-looks

Kawakubo used floral appliqués, shades of pink, and polka-dot patterns that define the traditional girly aesthetic, challenging gender roles and the concept of cuteness in the fashion world.

Kawakubo has presented her signature bold style by transforming excessively “cute” elements into avant-garde forms.

Capes, shawls, and tight-fitting tops that constrict the arms have completely restricted the models’ freedom of movement.

The expectation that women should always appear “graceful, calm, and docile” is symbolised by models in clothing that is physically restrained and kept motionless.

When I look at the collection, I am reminded of princesses embellished with jewellery and lavish gowns, presenting an image of perfection to conceal their insecurities, particularly from people they want to attract.

The models resemble modern-day princesses, adorned in beautiful garments, yet their facial expressions contrast sharply with their clothes. In some of the looks, they appear almost overwhelmed by the weight and grandeur of the clothes they wear.

Rei Kawakubo conveys what it feels like to suppress one’s true self and struggle to survive under the weight of societal expectations.

Sources:

• https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-1995-ready-to-wear/comme-des-garcons

• https://www.firstview.com/collection_images.php?id=54770

• https://www.bloomsburyfashioncentral.com/video?docid=BFVA_6074695003001&tocid=BFVA_file_6074695003001

Vivienne Westwood combines 18th-century French court elegance with classic British tailoring.

She dressed models as over-the-top 18th-century aristocrats, making fun of upper-class beauty standarts.

She designed a tartan fabric and called it MacAndreas as a romantic tribute to her husband and design partner, Andreas Kronthaler.

Super-elevated Ghillie platforms with 9-inch stiletto heels on 5-inch soles, wrapped in tartan and patent leather, are featured in the collection.

Naomi Campbell’s accidental fall while wearing 9-inch platform heels is the iconic moment of the show.

Her fall turned into one of the most famous pictures in fashion history.

YouTube Video:

Sources:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/anglomania

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-1993-ready-to-wear/vivienne-westwood

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/19/style/naomi-campbell-vivienne-westwood-runway-fall

I have been obsessed with finding my style for years. I don’t want to look rich or expensive; I want to look like myself and look stylish. Do you know what I mean?

I love fashion. That’s for sure; I love wandering inside the stores for hours without buying anything. Sometimes I love buying it too but that’s not our topic :)

Anyway, the thing is, when I find something cool, it's probably because of the person. For example, you don’t know my face, but if I were to wear something gothic, it would be a disaster. Because I don’t feel like I belong to it. I would act and feel super awkward.

I want people to see an image when they think about me, and I want this image to feel like me, not like someone else. In short, I think achieving the feeling of ourselves inside of an outfit makes us stylish.

We can see ourselves as a book, for example. Good descriptions can make the story much better, but redundant ones can make it boring.

I think telling our own stories is similar to how we develop our own style. You can be a minimalist or maximalist; it doesn’t matter. What matters is making it like yourself.

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There are so many options, most probably. It is up to you. It is up to who you are.

• I think making your outfits part of your story is a good way to start.

I like wearing something related to my interests. I like wearing tennis skirts because I find them so chic on court and they are so comfortable compared to other skirts. I like wearing jerseys in different styles. I don’t wear a random jersey; I wear my team's jersey. I will continue to wear jerseys even after the trend ends because I am a fan.

I am a master's student who can’t go anywhere without her laptop. I need big bags; so, there is no reason to buy the smallest ones. I know that I am not going to use. My big totes are part of my story.

I am obsessed with scents. I want to talk more about this in another article, but in short, finding the right scents can be hard (believe me, I know), but at least we can eliminate some stuff. You can choose your fragrance according to the season, your age, your style, or at least the scents you like. If that scent feels like you, it would be your signature.

Accessories, make-up, and hair are also part of our outfits. They are as important as our bags or shoes. I like braids, but they're not good enough to do for every model. That’s why I sometimes hide the top of my head (It can look bad because of my poor skills:/) with my bandanas. Finally, I have hair that I like, and I’m happy with my appearance.

I don’t have so many accessories, because I don’t think flashy jewellery suits me. Therefore, I have minimal jewellery that I usually wear.

Some items never leave our lives; we will see white tees every year, for example. There are so many items we can list. I have my golden hoops; I usually wear them every day. My mom bought them for me last year. I love them because they go nicely with everything.

I've worn Adidas Superstars since I was a kid. Not because they were trendy, but because they were comfortable. My feet are problematic, so finding the right shoes wasn't easy. I wore superstars throughout the school year.

They are not like Sambas, Gazelles, or Tokyos right now. I have Sambas; I like them as well, but I am not sure I will buy again. Superstars, on the other hand, I don’t even know how many of them I wear out.

Don’t buy animal print because it's everywhere if you know you'll never reach for it. A couple of years ago, leopard was impossible to avoid, and I was so tempted to buy a pair of leopard-print jeans. Thankfully, I didn’t buy any pair. Because I knew that I wouldn’t wear them at all after that summer.

Knowing your skin's undertone is a great place to start because it can help you understand which colours make you feel your best. But I don't think that's the whole story. Sometimes, the colours we naturally gravitate towards tell us even more.

I had camouflage leggings in middle school. They were ugly, but I loved them. I still find myself drawn to green tones and camouflage prints.

The same goes for brown. My mum didn't like it, so I rarely wore it growing up. Now, I wear it all the time.

Finding your style takes time. The more we invest in ourselves, the more our personal style begins to take shape.

Looking stylish isn't about looking like a celebrity. It's about being yourself.

Changing something from the past does not make it less valuable. Instead, it creates a new story. Ancient Greek inspiration draws on history and has changed over time. From Homer’s stories to today’s fashion shows, ancient Greece keeps finding new ways to speak to us through style.

Ancient Greek Clothing

Ancient Greeks usually wore clothes called chiton, peplos, himaton and chlamys. However, their styles varied according to economic, political, social, and cultural differences.

Greek garments were deceptively simple. Rather than being shaped by tailoring, they relied on draping, folding, and fastening the fabric around the body. Status was communicated less through cut than through textile quality, colour, and the way a garment was worn.

Cultural Differences

Wealthy people usually wore linen, cotton and imported fabrics, while poor people wore plain wool. Bright colours were too expensive. Therefore, ordinary citizens wore uncoloured fabrics. Clothing was a visible marker of class. Luxury was not expressed through elaborate tailoring but through colour, imported textiles, and precious jewellery. As might be expected, silver and gold accessories only belonged to wealthy families.

Men wore short tunics, while women wore long, floor-length garments. Free or wealthy women wore their hair long and braided, whereas enslaved women had their hair cut short.

They didn’t wear trousers, because those who wore them were viewed as foreigners and barbarians.

Philosophers used to wear simple, worn-out cloaks to show that they did not value wealth.

While soldiers and horsemen wore the chlamys to allow for ease of movement, workers wore a pinned tunic known as the exomis.

Homer’s Descriptions and Adaptations

In The Odyssey, Book 19 describes what Odysseus wore before he sets out for the Trojan War as a purple wool cloak; a tunic that was fine, lustrous, and as thin as an onion skin; and a gold brooch on the cloak. This image has not featured prominently in adaptations.

Rather than aiming for accuracy, artists have historically reimagined Homer through the visual language of their own time. Renaissance, Victorian, and contemporary adaptations all reveal more about the societies that produced them than about Bronze Age Greece itself.

The clothing in The Odyssey (2026) differs from historical reality by wearing dark leather, bulky boots, and pants. The helmet worn by Matt Damon is based on archaeological finds from the Late Bronze Age, and it drew criticism from some audiences because it dates to a period 600 years later than the era depicted.

Stanhope has portrayed Penelope as an ideal, virtuous, and patient Victorian woman. Drooling and Stanhope have interpreted the work by blending Homer with their own eras.

The Iliad’s Women in Art

After witnessing Hector’s death, Andromache’s elaborately crafted headdresses and veil fall to the ground. Andromache is described as wearing a metal diadem, a headscarf, and a braided hairband.

Ancient Greece in Contemporary Fashion

Much has changed since antiquity, but ancient Greek dress has never disappeared from fashion. Its influence continues to shape fashion today, and inspiration doesn’t come only from their clothing; it also comes from their lifestyle and architecture.

I want to start with my favourite: the Dior Palladio dress, created by Gianfranco Ferré for Dior’s Spring/Summer Haute Couture 1992 collection. Vertical and sculptural pleats form the bodice, while the silhouette remains soft and fluid rather than rigid.

It takes its name from Andrea Palladio, the 16th-century architect, and Ferré was also trained as an architect before becoming a fashion designer. In Palladio, Ferré approaches the dress like an architectural piece and makes it resemble (maybe even more than a resemblance; it looks like a marble from afar) a classical Greek column.

"The Search for the Golden Fleece" was the debut collection of Alexander McQueen as creative director of Givenchy. A colour palette referencing the colours of Givenchy’s original couture labels has been used. McQueen used Greek mythology as a narrative framework. He was inspired by Greek mythology, especially the story of Jason and the Argonauts, which is about the arduous journey undertaken by fifty heroes, led by Jason, aboard the ship Argo to seize the magical Golden Fleece. The story of Jason and the Argonauts reflects themes that recur in his works: ambition, sacrifice, and the tension between beauty and violence.

Midas Touch Collection is inspired by Greco-Roman goddesses and marble architecture. The collection uses a luxurious colour palette, including gold, white, silver, and skin tones.

Karl Lagerfeld explored classical antiquity as a source of inspiration for modern fashion. The collection features draped dresses, one-shoulder silhouettes, gold coin embellishments, marble and pottery motifs, classical ornamentation, and gladiator sandals, all presented in a soft palette of ivory, cream, blush, and gold.

Elements like drapery, proportion, architectural shapes, and mythological stories are still strong sources of inspiration. Each generation uses them to create its own version of the ancient world. Whether in Victorian art, modern movies, or high fashion, ancient Greece is always being reimagined, not just copied. Fashion, much like mythology, keeps the classical world alive by changing it for new times.

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