This is a project we will never forget.
Earlier this year, we had the incredible opportunity to create custom pieces for the dancers during Karol G's Coachella performance. It was one of the biggest projects we'd done, and we had no idea how it would evolve into something much greater. Those pieces were made for two performances, and watching them come to life on stage was incredible. We celebrated the moment, packed up the memories, and thought that chapter had come to a close.
Then we got the call...
Karol G's Coachella performance was the foundation for her Tropicoqueta: Viaje Por El Mundo World Tour, which officially kicked off in Chicago on July 27 and will travel across North America through December before continuing into Europe. Suddenly, the costumes we had created for a weekend festival needed to be completely reimagined for a production that would perform night after night for months. The challenge wasn't simply recreating what we'd already made...it was designing pieces that could withstand an entire world tour.
For Coachella, our designs only had to survive two performances. This time, they needed to last through rehearsals, travel, quick costume changes, intense choreography, and one major factor: water. Much of the choreography takes place in water, which immediately presented a challenge for us as a jewelry company. Many of the materials we work with are metal, and while they're beautiful for jewelry, they're simply not designed to be submerged repeatedly over the course of an international tour. Rust wasn't an option, so neither was our usual way of working. We had to brainstorm something new.
Working closely alongside legendary choreographer Parris Goebel and the incredibly talented stylist Ann-Marie Hoang, we spent weeks exploring new materials and construction techniques that would still capture the sparkle and movement everyone loved from the original Coachella designs. After many conversations and some trial and error, we landed on something. A material that resembles a shoelace completely covered in rhinestones. It had all the shine we wanted, moved beautifully with the dancers, and most importantly, could handle water without sacrificing durability.
What came next was something entirely new for the VidaKush team. We had never built garments this way before. Instead of constructing jewelry, we were creating wearable performance pieces using paracord-style knotting and crochet techniques, weaving hundreds upon hundreds of inches of rhinestone cord into custom bras and skirts. We taught ourselves the process, and mapped every single cut out on paper. Each skirt required a continuous length of cord measuring well over 300 inches, with additional pieces weaving in-between knots. With 20 female dancers and 2 male dancers to create for, every measurement had to be exact from the very beginning. No sparkle left behind.
On top of the braided foundation, each costume was finished with cascading strands of crystal, clear, and reflective rhinestone beads designed to fill in the gaps. We wanted the costumes to be full and luminescent. Every spin, jump, and turn would send light bouncing across the stage, making the dancers sparkle from every angle. While two members of our team focused entirely on knotting and constructing the foundations, four others threaded all the beads by hand, slowly transforming each piece into something worthy of the stage.
As deadlines grew closer, our studio became a full production house. We called in creative friends, filled every available workspace, and for a week and a half our entire focus became finishing these 22 custom looks. Every costume was carefully adjusted to fit its dancer, labeled by name, packed with care, and shipped to Chicago just in time for opening night.
The last time we saw them, they were neatly laid across our work tables.
The next time we saw our finished pieces, they were in motion, moving with the dancers, amongst the lights, fire, and energy of the stage.
There's something incredibly emotional about watching something you've spent weeks creating by hand become part of a live performance. Seeing the dancers step onto the stage beside Karol G wearing pieces that had only existed in our studio days before was surreal. The rhinestone cord reflected every light exactly as we'd imagined. Watching the costumes come alive through Parris Goebel's choreography was so rewarding. That transformation is why we do what we do.
A heartfelt thank you to Ann-Marie Hoang and Parris Goebel for trusting us with such an ambitious vision and giving us the opportunity to help bring it to life. Thank you to every member of the VidaKush team, our creative friends who jumped in to help, and every dancer who wore these pieces with such incredible energy and confidence. They were a huge part of the show and the performance wouldn't have been the same with out them.
We'll be cheering on the Tropicoqueta: Viaje Por El Mundo tour all the way through North America and Europe. Seeing these handmade pieces continue their journey across the world is something we'll never take for granted, and we feel incredibly honored to have played a small part in such a spectacular production.
Stay tuned for more VidaKush updates and see which projects we do next!
Check out the rest of the photos from our BTS and on stage snapshots! We have more videos on our TikTok page, and Karol G Tropitour Pinterest board!
