Putting a futuristic spin on traditional, tribal references was one of stylist Zerina Akers' approaches when creating the looks for Beyoncé's visual album Black Is King, which celebrates black ancestry and the African diaspora.
The visual album started as small, one-minute visuals in July 2019, but soon escalated to an 85-minute-long film that brings to life each of the songs on Beyoncé's 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift through powerful musical performances and dynamic costumes.
Each outfit was put together by Beyoncé's stylist, Akers, who has been working with the artist for the last six years.
With over 70 different looks, the process became "like a travelling circus", the stylist said, as she received a constant stream of merchandise from a mixture of established brands and emerging designers.
