ICYMI, Beyoncé will be back on tour, her first solo tour after more than six years! As revealed earlier this month, her Renaissance World Tour is set to kick off in Stockholm, Sweden on May 2023, and is expected to make various stops across Europe before going to North America.
Ahead of the announcement, Queen Bey also returned onstage–a major comeback after four years–for the opening of the Atlantis The Royal, Dubai. The “first lady of music” appeared in a bright red bodysuit by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, crowned with a halo by Filipino-American jewelry designer Chris Habana.
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Habana is a New York-based artist who had also created pieces for international celebrities like Doja Cat, Willow Smith, Viola Davis, and Kid Cudi. In an interview with Vogue Philippines, he talked specifically about his experience working for Beyoncé.
Beyoncé’s stylists KJ Moody and Andrew McFarland requested a dramatic halo for her from Habana’s studio and apparently, he works closely with them. “Usually when working on projects for Beyoncé, I don’t converse with her directly but instead her ideas and preferences are shared with us through her stylists,” Habana said. “[We] work very closely together to achieve the final goal.”
As a creative, he appreciates that there’s “genuine interest and respect” for his perspective on design and execution whenever he receives requests from the Cuff It singer and her team. That being said, he was able to incorporate his own inspirations into the headdress, as well as the hotel’s branding. He shared, “Conceptually, I took the classic visual elements of a halo, its connection to celestial bodies, and wanted to create a more minimal sleek yet visually grand piece.”
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Out of the three options he sketched, two were chosen by the stylists to be produced. The materials used were essential in order to maintain the impact of Habana’s design without sacrificing the award-winning performer’s comfort and mobility. Therefore, they settled on aluminum rods to keep it metallic but lightweight.
Yet, only one was worn during Beyoncé’s Dubai performance. The chosen “sunburst style” headpiece is also embellished with Swarovski crystals, and it is all made by hand from scratch.
Nevertheless, Habana said that he actually enjoys “this process of perpetual learning and problem-solving, especially for custom pieces.” Read Chris Habana’s full interview with Vogue Philippines here.
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