Los Angeles-based designer Asher Levine transformed BLACKPINK’s Lisa into a futuristic icon for her solo Coachella debut on April 11, 2025, crafting two avant-garde looks that stole the spotlight. In an exclusive interview with allkpop, Levine revealed the inspiration, challenges, and innovative techniques behind Lisa’s reptilian and bioluminescent stage outfits, designed to reflect her “Alter Ego” persona. The collaboration, styled by Brett Alan Nelson, merged high-tech couture with performance-ready functionality, cementing Lisa’s status as a global fashion and music powerhouse.
Levine, known for dressing bold artists like Lady Gaga, Doja Cat, and Lil Nas X, was contacted by Lisa’s stylist Brett Alan Nelson less than a month before her Sahara Stage performance. He shared:
“Lisa’s stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, reached out and said the references they were building—these really bold, nature-infused visuals—felt right in line with my work. Once I saw what they were putting together, I knew exactly how to translate it.”
The first look, a reptilian bodysuit unveiled after Lisa shed a giant black puffer, embodied an “anime cyborg villain” aesthetic. Covered in 3D hand-sculpted scales and accented with translucent horns on the shoulders, it took meticulous craftsmanship. Levine explained:
“For the villain, the references were anime cyborgs—full muscle suits and oversize jackets. I added my spin by fusing that idea with a reptilian, anatomical aesthetic.”
Each scale and horn required 50 to 60 hours of work, blending digital tools with hand-sculpting to mimic lizard armor while ensuring flexibility for Lisa’s dynamic choreography. Levine noted:
“Designing for performance is like engineering movement into sculpture. You have to know where something needs to stretch, where it needs to anchor, and how to let the body speak through the garment.”
The second look, a sheer catsuit with glowing blue and pink 3D-printed tendrils, drew from bioluminescent insects and translucent fungi. Featuring clear petals across the chest that “looked like glass but bent like leather,” it used embedded fiber optic lights for an otherworldly glow. Levine said:
“A lot of the references were bioluminescent insects and translucent fungi with illuminated veins running through the petals. People have been putting nature on themselves for thousands of years: flowers, animal prints. But now, what’s exotic 2.0?”
This outfit, described as “wearable alchemy,” incorporated Levine’s signature illumination techniques, pioneered in 2011 with Will.i.am. He reflected:
“We started experimenting with embedded illumination in 2011. This is the future that Blade Runner predicted.”
Creating both looks under a tight deadline was a feat. Levine’s Los Angeles atelier worked “at lightning speed” with fashion, sculpture, and tech teams. He told Paper Magazine:
“There were electrical wires running all over her body. She needed to make such a fast, quick change that we cut the legs off.”
The outfits aligned with Lisa’s album Alter Ego, showcasing her range from fierce (“Thunder,” “Fxck Up the World”) to ethereal (“Moonlit Floor”). Levine aimed to make Lisa feel “powerful, fluid, and completely herself inside these alien forms,” emphasizing:
“My work lives in that intersection: couture and tech and movement. It’s about making new age exotics not just visual, but wearable.”
Levine’s eco-conscious approach also stood out. Using lab-grown leathers and polymer skins, he aims to replace animal skins with technology. He stated:
“We don’t have to kill animals anymore. We can evolve beyond that.”
Fans on X praised the looks, with one user noting, “Asher Levine’s designs for Lisa’s Coachella set were unreal—so futuristic and bold!” Another wrote, “Lisa’s reptilian outfit was iconic, Asher Levine is a genius!” Posts also highlighted Levine’s prior AI-inspired designs, connecting his innovative style to Lisa’s boundary-pushing performance.
Lisa’s 55-minute set, which included a twerking routine rare for K-pop, marked her third Coachella appearance after BLACKPINK’s 2019 and 2023 performances. Supported by bandmates Rosé and Jennie in the crowd, she made history as the first K-pop act to perform at the festival three times. Rosé’s playful post-show interview, where she sat on Lisa’s lap, captured their bond:
“Do you have any interesting or fun stories on stage, anything that happened that nobody really knows?”
Levine, whose clients include Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, sees his work as evolving “chimeric organisms” for avant-garde artists. He told CNN:
“These are the kinds of people that I’ve been focused on evolving. That’s who my customer is. You’re the other, you’re avant-garde. Asher Levine isn’t for everyone.”
The collaboration amplified Lisa’s solo stardom, with her outfits—also including a red leather ensemble and a Hello Kitty-inspired two-piece—reflecting her multifaceted persona. Levine expressed pride:
“I’m so proud of them. Both looks explore transformation—one cold-blooded and commanding, the other ethereal and light. That balance is what excites me.”
As Lisa prepares for her second performance on April 18, 2025, Levine’s designs continue to spark buzz, with the latest updates confirming their impact on Coachella’s fashion narrative.
