“This is my opportunity to have my fashion show in my way.”
That’s the way Usher described the eclectic and eye-popping wardrobe that was created for his European tour, which kicked off at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday.
Called “Past Present Future,” the entertainer will be sporting a wide range of looks custom designed for him by both established and emerging designers. That includes Willy Chavarria, Robert Wun, Celine, Marni, Missoni, David Koma, 3.Paradis, Mowalola, Dingyun Zhang, Who Decides War, Ralph Lauren and Burberry.
The tour is designed to be a celebration of Usher’s 30-year career — and ninth studio album, “Coming Home” — and follows his Super Bowl halftime performance last year; a sold-out, 100-show Las Vegas residency, and 10-night residency at Paris’ La Seine Musicale.
After the 10 sold-out shows in London, he will set out for Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin for another 10 shows through May 7.
The show is broken down into 10 acts and there are seven full costume changes with some additional “mini” changes as well. The looks include a faux fur coat from David Koma, a sequined cape from Willy Chavarria, a feather scarf from Marni and a bedazzled double-breasted suit from Burberry — all of which were chosen specially to tell a story.
“Usher goes runway,” the singer said with a flourish.
“For me, every album starts with the fantasy,” Usher continued in an interview from London, where he was rehearsing. “I’m a storyteller by way of music and by way of what I do theatrically on the stage where I’m assisted by the fashion, the lighting and technical side of things.”
He said live performances are his passion and his goal is to “try my best to bring some point of connection to where I creatively started.”
And the outfits are a centerpiece of that creativity journey. He said by working with “two incredible collaborators, partners, editors, stylists” — Yashua Simmons and Jan-Michael Quammie — they connected with designers and fashion houses to customize looks that spoke to his past, present and future.
“I am 100 percent looking for something that I think is going to be shocking in the moment,” Usher said. “They’re great editors and able to bring things to light and maybe even push me out of my comfort zone, supply me with things that I might not think of, and push me in areas that I think are memorable.” But the end result is to find a “marriage between who they are as designers and where I am as a creative and an artist, and tell the story that I’ve curated.”
The looks in the show are intended to give fans “something they’ve never seen before,” and will speak to “the risk I’m taking live. That is my approach in a nutshell.”
Usher said that many of the pieces were quite heavy because of their embellishments, but the stylists were able to work some magic so he was comfortable moving around on stage.
Ditto for the male and female dancers, skaters and the rest of his cast, who are also being dressed in custom pieces. “We had to consider everyone when we were creating big ideas for Usher,” Quammie said. “There’s so much minutiae and nuance to what we’re doing. It’s been a huge undertaking.”
Simmons said they tried to include a mix of brands, both established and new and even used some vintage pieces. “We wanted it to feel like fashion, not a costume.”
“We opened the floodgates,” Usher interjected. “You’ve got to have fun. You have to finally get to a place where you’re not thinking, you’re just having a great time expressing yourself. I come from an era where mystique and the idea of the show was everything. And I want to push the limits, but I also want to be respectful of my own legacy. I want to challenge these young designers to reach into areas and spaces they may not necessarily have gone before, and the major houses to be able to play in my world and use their codes in a way that suits who I am and what I have to offer as an entertainer.”
The 46-year-old, Dallas-born Usher Raymond IV has become an icon in contemporary R&B and pop music since he released his first album at the age of 15. He now counts four multiplatinum albums, eight Grammy Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Soul Train Music Awards and eight American Music Awards to his name.
While preparing for the show in the U.K., Simmons and Quammie said several designers actually flew into town to fit Usher personally. “It was quite special. Everyone is taking this seriously and it’s just really nice to get that type of response from the industry,” Quammie said.
Daniel Lee, creative director of Burberry, is happy to be part of the show. “We were honored to be asked to create custom looks for Usher’s performances,” he said. “Usher is a true icon but also a personal friend and we wanted to make sure that his status as a worldwide superstar was reflected. Usher has incredible on-stage charisma that we wanted to channel but also pay tribute to London.
“In honor of Savile Row, we created a black tailoring look, embroidered with a traditional herringbone pattern. In tribute to our check, we created a uniform-inspired disco ball look, embellished in silver and green shades. The military jacket has a knitted silver military rope detail for closure too. As everyone knows, Usher is a very talented skater — so we created a pair of custom roller skates for the looks.”
David Koma created two looks for the entertainer, one incorporating oversize crystals, a key element of his spring collection. “The tabard comes directly from the collection while the trousers featuring crystal hand-embroidery and the other pieces were custom-designed specifically for Usher,” he said.
The second look was inspired by his fall 2025 collection and features “an extraordinary oversize faux fur coat. I spent a long time sourcing the perfect faux fur — one with rich depth of color and a truly luxurious feel — and I’m so excited to see it take center stage.”
Koma characterized this collaboration with Usher as “incredibly special. Not only is it my first time working with him but it also marks my debut in custom menswear. I officially launched the menswear side of my brand last June and I wanted to wait for the perfect project to introduce it on a grand scale. I couldn’t have asked for a better first collaborator — Usher is a true icon and his music was such a defining part of my younger years.”
Koma said his clothes have been worn by female entertainers on their tours in the past, but “expanding that energy into menswear is both thrilling and deeply validating. Seeing my menswear pieces embraced at this level confirms that the vision behind this new venture is resonating with the right audience. It’s almost like a stamp of approval.”
Chavarria was also happy to be included in the designer lineup for the show. “Usher’s talent is so powerful and multi-leveled. He hits us through music, dance, acting, and his strong sense of self. It is such an honor to dress this man. I love to see him shine.”
The Missoni look created specifically for Usher by creative director Alberto Caliri features a long, sequined trench coach in the house’s signature multicolor chevron print paired with loose-fitting trousers in the same pattern. “Caliri’s bespoke creation pays homage to Missoni’s bold, multicolor aesthetic while allowing Usher to maintain his unique stage presence, seamlessly blending music and fashion,” the company said. “The dazzling outfit is the perfect representation of the tour’s theme, Past Present Future, as it brings together vibrant nostalgia with the forward-thinking spirit of Usher’s musical evolution.”
Asked to pick his favorite look from the tour collection Usher was diplomatic, saying: “I love what we’ve created collectively.
“I love music. I love entertainment. I always love fashion. I have a grand respect for the work that they do,” he said of the designers. “It’s a bit of a challenge at times because there are so many changes, but I’m doing it because this is the part that makes me love what I do. I didn’t start this because I wanted to be the world’s greatest writer or the artist who sold the most albums. The show is the one thing that matters more than anything, because you can have a hit record, but can you put on a show? Will you shock people? Will you give them something to remember? This will be remembered.”
— With contributions from Hikmat Mohammed (London)
