A journey thorugh Chris Habana's fetish and controversial world

Metal, pearls, septums and pasties. Once again Chris Habana is not afraid to dare. The Filipino-American designer based in New York City has recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of his nameskake jewerly collection. And he did it in his own unique way. 

Habana's designs are unique and special: whether they're big and opulent or small and minimal, they can never go unnoticed, in a eclectic and polyedrial mix, that draws inspiration from tribal and punk elements. As Habana himself has stated, his jewels are created for those who want to stand out and wear something absolutely special, following their rebellious spirit. Habana creates for men, women and everyone 'in between', underlying the free connotation of his designs. 

For his SS19 collection, entitled A Song of Lamentation for the Dead, Habana has joined forces with the brand Vex Clothing, bringing into life a unique combination of latex, rubber, chains, crucifixes, like the latex bodysuit decorated with a heavy cage-like chain. The aim was creating something new, fresh, different, almost otherwordly, combining for the first time jewelry and clothing. Inspired by the Met Gala exhibition Heaven Bodies, Habana wanted to change the clear sexual connotation of the latex, turning it into something almost related to celibacy: rose pink latex covers the head of a model wearing also a big crucifix. Pagan symbolism, which has always been part of Habana's imaginary, makes its comeback in this anniversary collection, as well as the gothic elements that have always distinguished him. 

Pieces from the Chrishabana brand have been featured in magazines like Vogue, i-D and Dazed&Confused, and have been worn by celebs like Rihanna, Madonna, Lady Gaga, FKA Twigs, Kylie Jenner and SZA. He recently collaborated with Nicki Minaj too. In her visual Ganja Burn, the popstar stuns in a Egyptian inspired, 14k gold plated bikini: Habana worked on a silicone model of Nicki's body in order to create perfectly fitting and tight pieces. The result is unbeliavable.