Australians Dress Pop’s Biggest Stars — But Fame Doesn’t Pay the Bills

A bikini made from tangled strands of diamantes drapes down the torso of Colombian superstar Shakira. She sings from a floating pink bubble in the sky. It is the opening frame of her 2024 music video *Puntería*, which has amassed more than 78 million views on YouTube. Given the renown of the queen of Latin music, the scene’s Australian links are not immediately obvious. But the ornate bodysuit was a custom design by University of Technology Sydney graduate Caroline Reznik. It was handmade in her inner Sydney studio. Reznik is among a cohort of Australian designers dressing pop’s biggest stars, from Taylor Swift to Beyoncé to Doja Cat. While the reach from costuming a superstar can be “astronomical,” the designers say material rewards are harder to predict.