she wanted to look like Elsa and Anna, is singing along to the song "Brown Skin Girl"". Costume design Hundreds of costumes were designed for Black Is King, including 69 for Beyoncé herself. Costume designer Zerina Akers described how the aim of the wardrobe was to have a "global conversation"; the costumes would enable people of all races to "recognise and respect the power and beauty of brown skin", while black people would be inspired "to research their spiritual heritage and what truly belongs to them" and be left with the sense "that the world does belong to them and that they belong in the world". Akers curated outfits from both global brands and young black designers for the film, saying: "To be able to give [an emerging talent] the same visibility as a large corporation is invaluable... It's not just about creating a look, it's about how many families can benefit from that look. To see the waves this has created has been a dream." Beyoncé commented that "it was important that we worked with African designers" and that the fashion "amplified key themes in the film, such as black opulence and excellence" and "displayed a range of culture and heritage". Beyoncé added that the costume design utilized color and symbolism in order to "transition from one emotion to another". Akers worked on the wardrobe for approximately three months. She started by going into fabric stores, swatching pieces that spoke to her as she listened to the music of The Gift. She started to create custom looks with local designers, while her counterpart in Paris, Rogelio F. Burgos, started to collect runway looks. As the project grew, she hired a team of seven people to work on the film. The process became a "travelling circus", according to Akers; a constant stream of packages were arriving to set, including some straight off the runway, and they were constantly making new costumes and calling designers at midnight with ideas. Akers spoke about how she "wanted to reference different cultures, traditions and tribes, but to have the freedom to create fantasy, for people to be able to escape into a new world". This included dancers wearing Kanaga masks in the "Find Your Way Back" video, with the sparkly looks being inspired by constellations; this is a reference to the Dogon people's astrological belief system and advanced astronomical expertise. The fashion in the