Materials used: Polyester (mainly), elastane (hood and unitard), viscose (chest).
Completion time: 169 hours (8 items)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Acts: Animation, Prologue, Running Woman

According to Aztec tradition, a big influence that played a significant role in shaping the vibrant and symbolic world of Luzia, the fate of a person's soul isn't a matter of chance. It is said that if a person died in battle or on the sacrificial stone, after spending four years travelling with the sun, they would return to life as colorful, hovering hummingbirds. After parachuting into Luzia's waking dream of Mexico, our clown meets a dazzling flock of hummingbirds, their plumage shimmering in red, green, blue and turquoise. Later, a spirited troupe of red hummingbirds return, sweeping onto the stage for the exhilarating Hoop Diving act, bringing even more energy and vibrancy to the performance.

Materials used: Mainly made of plastazote HD60, a light, dense foam used by NASA
Completion time: 56 hours (fish head), 103 hours in total (3 items)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Acts: Adagio, Final Percussion

Both Mexican mythology and the world of Luzia teem with animal life and flows with water. These characters aren't your typical fish-headed people. In the midst of being eaten by giant tuna, they have transformed into surreal hybrid dream beings. This is why Montreal's costume workshops looked to various marine animals and reptiles for inspiration in creating the 1,115 costume elements in the show. Fun fact: Each of these fish heads is fitted with a hard hat, making it easy to adjust for the artists to wear.

Materials used: Nylon cotton
Completion time: 67 hours (3 items)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Act: Acro Pole

In the colorful dreamscape of Aztec legend, those summoned by Tlaloc, the revered god of rain, water and fertility, are welcomed into Tlacopan's tropical paradise. The costume for the Acro Pole act pays tribute to this mystical realm, drawing inspiration from the region's reptiles. During the act, acrobats climb, glide, and leap between swaying poles set in a landscape reminiscent of a hallucinogenic peyote trip. Beneath their elaborate costumes, the artists wear padded unitards designed to shield their skin from abrasion and impact, ensuring both safety and fluid movement.

Materials used: Polyester
Completion time: 35 hours (4 items)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Act: Swing to swing

Under a luminous red moon, nine artists take flight in a breathtaking Russian swing act. Their costumes are inspired by the vibrant floral and animal motifs of the traditional Otomi embroidery, their attire pays hommage to Mexico's rich artistic heritage. In the finale, the cast returns in a striking blue version of the design, a powerful symbol of unity, bringing the show's mesmerizing journey full circle. Fun fact: The fliers' pants are fitted tighter so they can spot their landings with ease and the pushers' pants are loose, allowing for deep squats.

Materials used: Polyester silk and cotton blend (costume), acrylic (wig)
Completion time: 108 hours (including wings)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Act: Running Woman & throughout the show

Each year the monarch butterfly embarks on a collosal, multi-generational migration from southern Canada to central Mexico. This grand odyssey is the inspiration for the Running Woman as she steps onto the stage and spreads her magnificent 6-meter-long silken wings, crafted from an astonishing 40 meters of fabric. The Running Woman's appearance is inspired by the Tarahumara, an indigenous tribe in Northern Mexico who are renowned for their ability to run incredible distances barefoot. In keeping with this inspiration, she performs without shoes and her body makeup is carefully applied to give her legs and hands a dusty weathered look. Her braided wig is intentionally styled to appear slightly unkempt, reinforcing the idea of a seasoned runner shaped by the elements.

Materials used: Linen & Polyester, Leather (shoes), Carbon Fiber (head)
Completion time: 124 hours (5 items)
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Act: Musician throughout the show

The crocodile-headed musicians that take to the stage are symbols of the art and folklore of Mexico. They're a reference to both Mexico's surrealist painters and the nahual tradition, which teaches we are all born with a spirit animal to guide and protect us through life. The hybrid creatures that play Luzia's music add to the surreal feel of our Mexican dreamscape. These costumes rank among the most intricate in the production, requiring precise craftsmanship to maintain both function and visual impact. The head pieces require meticulous balance to ensure stability, allowing the performers to move with both confidence and artistry.

Materials used: Polyester, Lycra
Completion time: 55 hours
Designer: Giovanna Buzzi
Act: Roue Cyr

The desert is transformed into a dreamlike scene where two young women in yellow dresses dance with hoops among cacti and quiotes (agave plants). They are joined by a trapeze artist before the act concludes under a magnificent rain, revitalizing the arid landscape. The dress is adorned with black ants, tiny yet resilient creatures that thrive in the desert landscapes reflected in this act. The Roue Cyr artists each have two identical costumes, to accomodate the dramatic rainfall that drenches them, ensuring they can seamlessly transition between soaked and dry versions for every performance.

Each year, Cirque du Soleil's Montreal Costume Workshop transforms over 6.5 kilometers of fabric into wearable masterpieces. These fabrics, carefully selected and sourced from all over the world, are processed and dyed on-site by the textile team using techniques like dyeing, screen printing, sublimation, and direct hand painting. Every day, a variety of passionate artisans including accessory makers, shoemakers, hatters, cutters, trimmers and tailors work to bring to life the costumes that will enchant audiences world wide.

In hommage to the annual migration of the monarch butterfly from southern Canada to central Mexico, the Running Woman spreads wings that are each 6 m long, made of silk, and require 40m of material.

Some of Luzia's costumes needed innovative research and development. The lead singer's dress, for example, weighs 37 pounds because its 61 white flowers are equipped with motors that make them open, revealing their bright red interiors.

The artisans of Cirque du Soleil's Montreal Costume Workshop designed and built 5 crocodile heads, 1 iguana shawl, 1 cockroach, 1 grasshopper, 1 armadillo, 1 snake, 5 swordfish heads and 3 tuna heads.

Each performance of Luzia requires 140 pairs of shoes. Because some artists perform in water, new types of soles had to be designed. A special costume drying system was also developed.

The hoop divers, dressed as hummingbirds complete with head, beak and wings, leap through hoops a mere 75 cm in diameter!

In all, 1,115 different costume elements were created for LUZIA. The high level of detail in them, like the intricate patterns in the Singer’s shawl, is a tribute to the artistry of traditional Mexican craftspeople.