The Weeknd Super Bowl outfit: Designer explains why it took 250 hours to make the singer’s red suit

'Dressing a musician is about embracing the character that they create', said Matthew M. Williams

(AP)

The designer behind the outfit worn by The Weeknd during the Super Bowl half-time show has spoken about dressing the singer.

On Sunday 7 February, the star performed flanked by dancers with bandaged faces, wearing a Givenchy couture suit encrusted with rubies.

The 30-year-old was watched by an estimated 100 million fans as he performed at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The singer was dressed by Matthew M. Williams, who was appointed creative director of Givenchy in June 2020.

Williams told Vogue magazine that the Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) and his team had a "clear vision" of how they wanted the outfits to look.

"Dressing a model on your runway is about making your vision come to life in the way you imagine it fully," he said.  

"Dressing a musician is about embracing the character that they create while staying true to your own brand vision, and I find it fascinating to look for that balance."

The star had two jackets for his performance - one made from red wool, and one featuring thousands of ruby crystals for the finale.

These crystals were hand-embroidered one by one by "at least four magical petites mains", said Williams.

The look was designed to "catch light" during the performance, and creating the outfit took a total of 250 hours.

The singer's backing dancers wore facial bandages during the show, something the Weeknd himself did during the American Music Awards in November last year, before unveiling a prosthetic plastic surgery look in the music video for "Save Your Tears".

"The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated," the Weeknd previously told Variety magazine.

He added: "It’s all a progression and we watch The Character’s storyline hit heightened levels of danger and absurdity as his tale goes on."

When asked if he "intentionally" made his face "unattractive while promoting [his] biggest album", the R&B musician said: "I suppose you could take that being attractive isn’t important to me but a compelling narrative is."