Cirque du Soleil's first foray into country music,Songblazers, will be in Houston through August 11. For the team behind Cirque du Soleil, country music is about telling stories, so they tapped famed stylist Zerina Rosette Akers to create the costumes for the show and take that same storytelling approach.
Although she is making her Cirque du Soleil debut, Akers has years of experience in the fashion world. She was Beyonce's personal stylist for nearly a decade and has styled other big names in the entertainment industry, including Houston native Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe and Halle Bailey, and more.
Western influences have taken over mainstream fashion over the past few seasons. Icons in the fashion industry, including Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Dior, and Chloé, have created entire collections around Western style, and with Songblazers, Akers had the opportunity to do the same.
"I was inspired by country fashion and country music past and present. I really dug into a ton of different musicians and artists, but also runway style and fashion and how it's incorporated to have the best of both worlds of fashion and music meet," Akers tells CultureMap.
Akers added to Songblazers by telling the story of country songs and music through her designs. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque costumes are famously flexible and versatile, allowing the performers to move freely during their performances. According to Akers, she worked with the commonly known aspects of country fashion and added a Cirque du Soleil essence paired with modern Western-influenced fashion and, of course, spandex. "Everything has to be spandex 'cause we gotta move," she says.
For Akers, one of her favorite creations for the show was the famed nudie suit. For those unfamiliar with nostalgic country fashion, a nudie suit is a highly embellished stage costume that became a status symbol of country music performers dating back to the 1950s.
Akers designed her version of the famous country music nudie suit. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
For many, it became a symbol of the American Dream. Akers created her own version for Songblazers.
"My favorite style piece of the country aesthetic is the nudie suit. It's so glam and rooted in culture and performance; it's just gorgeous," she says.
To complement the costumes, Vanessa Ashley, makeup specialist for Cirque du Soleil, says the color palette for the show is very vibrant and happy. She pulled from the colors of the costumes to create a palette of blues, oranges, pinks, and purples. The makeup team teaches the artists how to do their makeup and hair by giving them lessons so they can complete their looks on their own weeks prior to the show.
Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
Songblazers will be in Houston through August 11.
