BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT
AT A GLANCE
To be handed a rare opportunity like this, she immediately went to the drawing board and planned for her biggest career highlight thus far.
Viral popstar Jikamarie is starting off 2024 on the right foot as she opens for Coldplay’s much-awaited two-day concert in Manila this weekend.
To be handed a rare opportunity like this, she immediately went to the drawing board and planned for her biggest career highlight thus far. “I can't think of a better word to describe it other than surreal. I literally cried!” she shares, looking back to when she got the good news. “It's such an honor to be performing alongside one of the most iconic artists for so many years,” she further says.
In an Instagram post by Warner Music Philippines, the 23-year-old bedroom pop artist is seen rehearsing with her full band, with her chart-topping hits “Lutang”, “kailangan ko ng…” and songs off her debut EP “L0VER G!RL” making it to the setlist.
Music aside, Jikamarie is known as a fashion girlie, highlighting her creativity through fashion and makeup on her TikTok account. She shows off her quirky persona with her signature eyeliner, ever-changing hair colors, and unique outfits that stand out.
Naturally, she wants to highlight her style with her dreamy tunes on the big stage. To match the one-of-a-kind opportunity, Warner Music Philippines scored a collaboration with Filipino brand HA.MÜ to showcase trailblazing Filipino artistry through fashion and music.
“I was connected to them through Ms. Jess Cabuay, our stylist who oversees the entire glam team! We were browsing through designer options and when we landed on HA.MÜ, we just knew they were the perfect one to work with for this project” Jikamarie recounts in an interview. “I was definitely anxious if I was gonna be able to secure the styling aspect, but when I got to talking with them, I really felt that I was working with people who really know how to deliver, and they were assuring my safety and comfortability all throughout,” she further narrated.
Founded in 2017 by Abraham Guardian and Mamuro Oki, HA.MÜ focuses on creating unique, maximalist pieces that play on androgyny and individuality. Known for working with chart-topping artists, the team behind HA.MÜ honored the request and got to work.
“We love working with local artists because we are both supporting each other,” they expressed. Along with its one-of-a-kind approach to fashion, the brand believes in sustainable fashion and livelihood. “We mainly used readily-available fabrics that are in the studio to create her look,” they share.
HA.MÜ has since then headlined multiple runway shows, has also exhibited their pieces in shows abroad, and has donned cover pages in major Filipino publications. The brand boasts a long (and still ongoing) list of clients, now including one of Warner Music Philippines’ biggest pop acts.
HA.MÜ and Jikamarie’s partnership is like a perfectly fitted glove and narrates their excitement in working together. “Jika's style is similar to what we do,” they mentioned, citing Jika as a perfect muse for their brand and vision. “The idea is to highlight Jika's playful vision of how she wants her concert looks to look like. Our work has to compliment and help Jika stand out on stage!” they further added. Jikamarie also took this as an opportunity to flex her artsy side, submitting sketches of her desired looks to the team.
“We all just really wanted something that captured the whimsy art style that I often incorporate in my posters and visual identity, and I think I can safely say that they captured it perfectly” she gleefully said. Despite the crunch time, the team used in-studio materials to create head-turning looks, which they playfully call Jikamarie-core.
“We made sure the fabrics we used are those we are familiar with, so we will have less room for redos. It will save a lot of time,” HA.MÜ explains. “When we saw the designs, we were amazed at how gorgeous they looked, and the fact that these were made out of scraps of fabrics from previous projects. It was nice to know that we were in good hands working with them; they really knew how to make something beautiful from already available materials,” highlighting Jikamarie’s awe with HA.MÜ’s sustainability efforts.
With their creative juices flowing freely, Jikamarie and HA.MÜ’s team has created beautiful pieces ready to be unveiled on her show day at the Philippine Arena. “Having to see our work on a local artist on a headliner of a concert of an international artist is a big deal, and it excites us knowing that we will both be helping each other to put together a solid performance,” they narrate in excitement.
“I think it's exciting to see the outfits to be performed in, to really showcase both HA.MÜ and my collaborative work come to life. I am also really excited to perform with the clothes on since the designs they made were for this specific show,” Jika mentions as she talks about her excitement about her career milestone. “I knew that this opportunity was not only good for me, but for every single person I've worked with—from the band to the technical team, the glam team, and everyone else that has made everything smooth-running for me,” she further adds.
She also hopes this collaboration will open doors for more Filipino designers to work with musicians, and uplift the creative scene. As to their expectations on show day, they are excited to see her rock out to their custom-made outfits, just as Jikamarie is excited to open for Coldplay!
