It’s been nearly halfway through Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour, which will span dozens of shows across North and South America once complete and signifies the pop star’s first tour in seven years. Characterized by bold colors and flashy visuals, as well as themes of female empowerment and animalistic desires – illustrated particularly via Shakira’s alter ego, the she-wolf – Shakira’s set design is rooted in deep vulnerability, and both personal and artistic transformation.

Behind the design is Yellow Studio, a New York-based design firm that has specialized in production design and creative direction for broadcast and live entertainment for two decades now. Founded by Latin-Australian set designer Julio Himede in 2006, Yellow Studio has helped breathe life into numerous stages, including the Grammys, Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and Disney’s Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration. Their team has workshopped sets for iconic artists, from Mary J. Blige to Alicia Keys, and Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is just their latest in a string of upcoming projects.

We talked to Yellow Studio’s Lead Senior Designer, Damun Jawanrudi to discuss what it was like working with the four-time Grammy award winner, what goes into crafting a sensitive stage and how personal transformation drives the entire show. Born in Cologne, Germany, Jawanrudi was trained as an architect before pivoting to concert set design when he joined Yellow Studio, in which he says he enjoys the creative freedom and multimedia storytelling that goes into each assignment.

What were those first conversations like with Shakira and her team when it came to shaping the visual world of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran? Where did the creative process begin, and what were the emotional or visual anchors you kept returning to?

The first conversations were incredibly personal. Shakira came to the table not just as a global icon, but as a woman who had gone through something deeply personal. The album title itself — Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran — was our compass. It was about more than just designing a stage; we were crafting an emotional terrain. Our earliest mood boards weren’t filled with colors or shapes but with concepts: resilience, alchemy, rebirth. The visual world started there, and we kept returning to the idea of transformation — an ongoing emotional evolution. That was our anchor.

This stage feels like it’s not just a set — it almost acts like a character itself and evolves throughout the show. How did you approach designing a space that could evolve emotionally, visually, symbolically, and that mirrors Shakira’s personal and artistic transformation?

For us, the challenge was to create a playful canvas — a dynamic environment that could support and reflect Shakira’s emotional and celebratory journey. We were building a framework that would allow her narrative to unfold. From the beginning, it was clear the stage couldn’t be stagnant. The album carries so many emotional shifts, and we needed to give her the freedom to express that fully.

We designed the stage to always stay in motion — whether through the fluid integration of kinetic elements, a thrust that brings her into the audience, or a seamless video wall that could carry her avatar, visual interludes, and storytelling moments. It was about giving her presence and flexibility: lifts that elevate her, lighting that could shift from deeply intimate to bold and powerful, and a layout that let her move between distance and closeness. The stage becomes a vessel — shifting with Shakira.

From hidden lifts to kinetic video doors, the technical layers are deeply intricate. How do you balance scale and intimacy — creating something both spectacular and personal?

It’s all about tension — holding back just enough so that when the stage does transform, it’s impactful. We designed a minimalist base that could shift dramatically without giving away those changes in advance. The video doors stay closed until a moment of reveal, lifts emerge from the floor only when needed, and then everything returns to a neutral, almost meditative state. That restraint allows the show to swing between extremes: from massive, global moments like Waka Waka to something as intimate as Antología, where it feels like Shakira is singing right next to you.

The extended catwalk blurs the screen and stage, giving fans immersive access. How did the idea to use it as both a performance platform and storytelling tool come to life?

From the start, Shakira explained to us her special connection to her fans. It was crucial for her to feel physically close to them — even in massive venues. We wanted to give her a way to step out into the room — not just symbolically, but physically. The video thrust extends from the upstage screen into the audience, creating a seamless connection between her and the crowd. It lets her carry the emotional arc forward, using content and proximity to reach even those furthest away and pull them into the experience.

The show feels alive — constantly shifting. How did you choreograph that sense of evolution across lighting, structure, and video to carry the emotional arc?

Our job was to build a stage that could echo Shakira’s story. We designed a set that allowed lighting, video, and structure to interact fluidly — almost like a modular system that could constantly evolve. At times, it’s video-forward; in other moments, it’s about kinetic movement or a lighting shift that transforms the space entirely. Whether it’s a hydraulic lift lined with fascia screens or a lighting wall that blends into video content, every tool was designed to work together seamlessly. That flexibility gave Shakira the ability to create unique moments for each song within the same design palette.

You’ve designed for the Grammys, massive global tours, and now this monumental comeback. What felt different — maybe even sacred — about collaborating with Shakira on this project?

This project was about authenticity, truth, and the opening up of who she is as a woman, a mother, and an artist. What made it truly different — and yes, sacred in its own way — was how personally involved Shakira was throughout the entire process. We weren’t designing something for her from a distance; we were designing with her collaboratively. She brought us into her world, trusted us with her vulnerability, and made us part of the storytelling. That kind of collaboration is a privilege and not always possible. It became something truly intimate for all of us. After so many shared hours and conversations, seeing her finally step onto that stage and inhabit the world we built together was incredibly moving and filled us with pride.

This show is about women who no longer cry, who instead transform. As designers and storytellers, what does transformation mean to you? And how do you create space for that kind of emotional shift — not just onstage, but in the hearts of the audience?

To us, transformation is about constant evolution — refusing to stay static. In this case, it was about turning tears into diamonds, as she says. That’s what the entire show is about, and our job was to design a space that could hold and reflect that journey.

The stage isn’t just a frame — it’s an extension of her. We approached it as something that evolves with her, mirrors her shifts, and supports the emotional storytelling without ever overpowering it. When Shakira first shared her story with us in person, it was so raw and heartfelt that we knew the most powerful thing we could do was help others feel what we felt in that room. The stage became a kind of megaphone — amplifying her vulnerability, her strength, and her truth. She already had the emotion and the authenticity — we just had to help give it form, so it could resonate and reach her audience.