Their festival set may only be an hour, but for SB19 and their fans, A’TIN, that hour carries with it the weight of being the first Filipino artist to play Lollapalooza. From the members—Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin—adapting their performance for the festival stage, to their stylist’s meticulous research, the work was put in to make the performance memorable for years to come, not just for the fans that have traveled from home or waited patiently stateside to see them but also those who will be introduced to them.

“It’s quite a different market,” Justin tells Teen Vogue just a few days ahead of the performance. “For our previous shows here in the US, most of the people who were able to watch are actually our fans. But this time around, there’ll be a lot of casuals who don’t know about our group.”

Josh says that they’re grateful for every opportunity, but the Lollapalooza stage admittedly became one of their most anticipated. “We can [show] what Filipinos are capable of,” he explains. “We have been dying, honestly, to be able to present our music to people here because we know that our music is something that other people wouldn’t be able to replicate. It’s the SB19 mark that we are proud of.”

Photos courtesy of Gino Lucas.

Photos courtesy of Gino Lucas.

When making a first impression, presentation is key and for a shared festival stage, where customized backdrops, set designs, and props may be minimal, the right outfit can make the look. SB19 used this opportunity to represent their heritage. The group explains that the intention was to highlight modern Filipino culture while presenting it in a way that felt natural to the group. Their stylist Roy Back went to museums in the Philippines to find inspiration to incorporate into the looks. The embroidery, for example, was taken from indigenous designs.