Ciara Describes Her Style on the Out of This World Tour As “Tomboy Chic on Steroids”
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It would be safe to describe the onstage experience on Ciara’s tour with Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes as “leveled up.”
The “Goodies” singer knows her most dedicated fans have been waiting years for this moment, so going all-in on the show’s set list, choreography, and of course, fashion was nonnegotiable. Last weekend’s Los Angeles stop on the Out of This World: The Experience tour also coincided with Ciara providing the opening performance at the 2024 ESPY Awards—a jam-packed day the singer says was “definitely one for the books.”
“While it was nonstop, back-to-back moments, it all worked out seamlessly. It was a true definition of organized chaos, and I dream of nights like that—it’s so invigorating,” Ciara tells Harper’s Bazaar in an exclusive interview. “I got to do a live performance on national TV honoring my friend Serena, and then right after that, to go and perform at one of the most iconic areas in the world … it doesn’t get any better.”
The Out of This World tour, of course, is an experience that has been years in the making, especially for Ciara and Elliott. Their collaborations—like “1, 2 Step” and “Lose Control”—are among the most timeless entries in the R&B and hip-hop canon, but the two women have never been able to take their individual catalogs on the road together.
“It is truly so exciting to be on the road with Missy and Busta. This has been a longtime dream come true for me, because Missy and I always talk about performing together, and some of the biggest songs we’ve had in our careers we share together,” Ciara says. She adds: “I always thought that Busta is one of the best performers in hip-hop, so the combination of all of us together is nonstop energy for our fans—so you gotta bring a towel because you’re definitely gonna sweat a little!” She laughs. “It’s important to me that my fans have the time of their lives and walk away with an experience they’ll never forget.”
For the 24-stop tour, Ciara worked with her longtime stylist Marni Senofonte to conceptualize her wardrobe, which includes standout pieces like leather chaps, crystal-encrusted bodysuits, and a larger-than-life crown fit for a reigning queen of R&B.
“Marni and I have been together for at least 15 years, and what I love about Marni is I think she is truly special and one of the rare breeds of the stylist world. She really gets me, which makes things really easy in the process,” the singer says. “It allows us to have the most creative fun, because we are pretty much always on the same page. I was so excited to have Marni help me with this tour, because this is where we thrive the best and have the most fun when coming up with ideas, and I know she is going to always help me bring my vision to life.”
For Senofonte, Ciara’s onstage looks are meant to evoke a more luxuriously low-key energy.
“The overall inspiration for Ciara’s tour wardrobe was, quite simply, Ciara herself,” Senofonte says. “Having worked with CiCi for over 15 years, I delved into our extensive history together, reflecting on the evolution of her style since the Goodies era, marking its 20th anniversary. The mood board was hot, tomboy, high fashion, supermodel, gully-ish, Atlanta, Paris, supermodel. Ladies and gentleman—her! Ha!”
She continues: “Our goal, which was always the constant, was to merge streetwear with high fashion, ensuring every fit was not only fire, but athletically functional. We have a couple of key pieces that become their own characters in the show, the fitted crown being my fave! Basically, we aimed to create the ultimate anti-costume costume—fits that fans would want to wear to the very concert they were attending.”
Ciara similarly describes her tour style as “tomboy chic on steroids.”
“‘Tomboy sexy’ is always the theme I typically go for, because that’s really who I am. I wanted to make sure that I captured the essence of that, but also making sure that my looks were really strong for the stage, especially being under the lights,” she says. “It’s also important to me that there is drama at every angle, every turn. For example: having a cape, but making it big enough so that it can create a really beautiful picture—that drama just adds more to the performance.”
Bringing the drama to the stage was an essential for Ciara when she began plotting out the creative elements of the show.
“I truly believe I am going another level up with my lights and stage presentation, and I wanted to be very intentional with my creative vision,” she says. “It’s a very lights-driven show, and I have a very unique stage with this lighting panel that is really one of a kind. I have to give a lot of thanks to the Squared Division for showing this amazing concept to me, because I fell in love with it right away. I knew we were going to have something that is really truly special.”
Planning the tour also took Ciara back to some formative concerts, courtesy of the musical greats she’s witnessed over the years.
“I remember watching shows on DVD like Michael Jackson in Bucharest, [Romania], on the Dangerous tour—that was one of the most inspiring tours to watch. Also, tours like Madonna’s Blond Ambition and Janet [Jackson]’s Velvet Rope tour have been so inspiring,” she says. “To me, artists like them are the epitome of what truly performing is and how you give the best stage presentation.”
The tour is also serving as a family affair, with Ciara’s husband, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, and their children joining her to take the show on the road.
“Having my family and my babies with me brings me the greatest joy and comfort. I don’t know how I would get through a tour like this without having them with me—I think I would go crazy,” she says. “It brings me peace knowing that they are here with me, but also they are having so much fun and they get to see Mommy in full action in my element, so that they can understand what Mom is doing when she has to go and travel, and when I say ‘Mommy is working.’ And what’s been really sweet is that they really love my show, and they are also inspired by it.”
According to the singer, her children love to give her positive feedback after every show—and join in on the dancing.
“Seeing my daughter Sienna come back and try to emulate my dance moves from stage, to seeing [older son] Future come back to tell me things he loved … moments like when I say, ‘Oh, I wish I could have done this part better,’ and Future will say, ‘Mommy, you did a great job and you were so beautiful.’ It’s so cute and it feels so good,” she says. “To see my little baby Win jump around because he loves the energy of the show is so special—he has his own perspective of the show, even though he is three years old, just about to turn four. Then to have my little baby, Amora, have so much fun with her siblings while watching Mommy—it fills my heart up with so much joy and love. It’s the best feeling to have their support. It’s chaos, but good chaos.”
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