IFM HAPPENINGS | WITNESS THE ILLUMINATED DUO OF SWAROVSKI’S MILLION CRYSTALS AND SPICE GIRLS’ POWER COMEBACK

It is Spice World Tour’s first performance together after 2012’s Olympics closing ceremony, and all the Spice Girl fans have clearly missed the pop star beauties – that the tickets for the US stadium sold-out in minutes. But the very highlight was the sparkling crystal-embellished dresses designed by the award-winning costume designer Gabriella Slade who worked closely with the Spice Girls to create a contemporary spin on their trademark style, drawing on the DNA of their 90s heyday to create costumes for their UK and Ireland stadium tour. Of course, the glamour wasn’t possible without Swarovski’s dazzling crystals – for over a century, Swarovski crystals have held the centre stage in theatre, film, and music, magnifying prestigious talents, and commanding audience attention; the brand is always committed to supporting musical talent from the world’s top musicians to a new generation of artists. Swarovski has recently added sparkle to stage costumes for Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Lopez also.

In designer’s words, “It’s an absolute dream job to design for a tour like this, and to be working with such brilliant women as the Spice Girls. The use of Swarovski crystals is really important and integral in designing for a pop show – it really elevates the costumes. You can always tell it’s a Swarovski crystal costume, even from the back of the stadium!” and we can’t agree more.

The show opened with a reimagining of the Spice Girls’ most iconic looks with perfectly captured essence of each Spice Girl, amplifying and elevating their signature style: a shimmering pink mini dress for Baby (Emma Bunton); a sparkling Union Jack gown for Ginger (Geri Halliwell); a glittering animal-print jumpsuit for Scary (Melanie Brown); and a shining Olympian outfit for Sporty (Melanie Chisholm). The exclusive looks, including shoes and bespoke accessories, were hand-embellished with individual Swarovski crystals and pearls by a team of artisans.

Gabi devised costumes unique for every act in the show, using Swarovski crystals and pearls to add sparkle and a sense of fun to over 100 costumes for the Spice Girls and their backing dancers. Each costume throughout the show was bold and empowering, celebrating the girl power at the heart of the band and rightly so.

Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with Gabriella Slade to celebrate the amazing, empowering and iconic spirit of Girl Power for the ‘Spice World’ tour. With one million Swarovski crystals hand applied to over 100 shimmering costumes for the Spice Girls and their dancers, we are thrilled to help magnify the magic and dazzle of this stellar show.”

Spice World 2019 Tour commenced on May 24 in Dublin and will conclude on June 15 in London. Here’s a glimpse of the literally star studded show at Dublin.