Simba may be the star of The Lion King, but Beyoncé is the star of the red carpet—and arguably, of Disney’s live-action remake, as her casting as Nala has boosted anticipation for the film into the stratosphere.
Of course, after seeing her Lion King-inspired look for the 2019 Wearable Art Gala, we were wondering how the star would turn out for Tuesday’s world premiere in Hollywood. But in a departure from the film’s African theme, Beyoncé opted for English glamour this round, dressed by longtime stylist Zerina Akers in a diamanté chain-embellished tuxedo dress with tulle skirt from Alexander McQueen’s pre-fall 2019 collection, paired with an earful of rockstar-worthy earrings, a statement necklace and a clutch by Lorraine Schwartz.
But the influence wasn’t all European; celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble put a stunning spin on cornrows, mimicking the pattern of finger-waves in a style we’ve yet to see on the singer. The effect was, as expected, befitting an international superstar.
That said, given Bey’s commitment to African designers during 2018's Global Citizen Festival, we’d admittedly been anticipating a designer moment from the continent for The Lion King premiere. But how can we begrudge this mommy-and-me moment with Blue Ivy on the red carpet?
Of course, these beauties weren’t the only stars on the Dolby Theater’s red carpet Tuesday night; you can check out how several other members of the cast and the premiere’s guests turned out for the big event in our slideshow below.