Becoming A Popstar: Hera’s Sabrina Carpenter Era
Turning vision into stage magic
Some collaborations don’t end when the stage lights fade. They echo. This was one of them.
What began as glam support for a themed show quickly evolved into a full creative partnership alongside the KSAMA team. Our goal was simple but ambitious: to help Hera feel fully embodied on stage — confident, supported, and unapologetically committed to the popstar transformation.
This post is a behind-the-scenes look at how we transformed Hera into Sabrina Carpenter for Real Love Winnipeg Presents: Bands As Bands — and how that singular vision expanded beyond what we imagined, growing into a second major performance at PRIDE Winnipeg that celebrated Hera as herself.
What we gained wasn’t just two successful shows. It was momentum. Creative alignment. A growing community built on trust.
About Miss Hera
Hera is a Filipino-Canadian singer, songwriter, actor, and storyteller whose artistry lives at the intersection of tenderness and power. She creates from a place of emotional honesty — exploring longing, healing, devotion, and transformation with striking vulnerability.
Her work moves between music and theatre, weaving storytelling into experiences that feel deeply personal yet universally resonant. Every performance feels intentional. Every lyric feels lived in.
Hera’s art reads like a collection of love letters — to the past, to the people who shaped her, and to the evolving versions of herself she is still learning to embrace. At the heart of it all is connection. She doesn’t just perform; she invites you into the parts of yourself you might keep hidden and reminds you that becoming is just as beautiful as being complete.
For Bands As Bands, Hera made a bold choice: to step fully into her popstar era. Inspired by the romantic charm and playful confidence of Sabrina Carpenter, she envisioned a show that felt dreamy, flirtatious, emotionally sincere, and visually captivating. Larger than life — but never detached from truth.
It wasn’t just about performing pop. It was about embodying it.
Our Timeline
Discovery & Vision - February 2025
Initial outreach through the Ambassador Program
Creative alignment with Hera and the KSAMA team
Pre‑Production - February to March 2025
Virtual and in‑person planning meetings
Shared Pinterest boards for makeup, hair, costume, and set inspiration
Shared Notion workspace for logistics, timelines, and notes
Glam Trial & Mini Photoshoot - March 20, 2025
Glam trial + mini promo shoot at Little Moons Studio
Touch‑ups and BTS coverage at Hera’s teaser performance (Public Domain)
Performance - March 21, 2025
Bands As Bands at The Park Theatre, Winnipeg
Glam Trial & Photoshoot BTS — Sabrina Carpenter Era
Creative Direction
Our creative approach was rooted in intention and collaboration. We built moodboards together — pulling inspiration from Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour era, while making sure Hera’s identity remained front and center.
The goal was to merge:
Sabrina’s bubbly, flirty, confident popstar energy
Hera’s softness, emotional depth, and storytelling
For makeup, I focused on a romantic soft‑glam complexion with rosy lips, elevated by a baby blue cut crease to echo Hera’s custom blue outfit by Anziety Wear. The finishing touch? Bedazzled gems on the eyes for performance day — the detail that turned the look from beautiful to undeniably popstar.
Jer amplified the transformation with big, voluminous curls and romantic bangs — perfectly capturing that larger‑than‑life stage presence.
The Photoshoot
The promo shoot at Little Moons Studio felt playful, intimate, and exciting — like a true content day. We styled the set with blush‑pink curtains, roses, candlelight, and a bed to evoke a dreamy, flirty, almost secret‑garden energy.
One of my favorite shots was Hera on the bed holding a lollipop — cheeky, alluring, and nostalgic. It echoed the Sabrina inspiration while still feeling uniquely Hera.
Beyond the visuals, the trial session was about connection. It gave us space to build trust, align creatively, and allow Hera to fully step into her star energy — feeling supported, seen, and ready.
Makeup done by Muriel, Hair done by Jer, Photo’s captured by Emmeline at Little Moons Studio
The Live Performance — Bands As Bands
The Energy
Being part of a live production is surreal. Watching performers shift into character, hearing sound checks, witnessing the crowd react — it’s a completely different experience when you’re behind the scenes.
After glam, we captured BTS content while Emmeline documented the night live. Jer and I also assisted with Hera’s mid‑performance costume change. It felt like true teamwork — fast‑paced, collaborative, and deeply rewarding.
The Challenge (and the Pivot)
On the biggest night, the unexpected happened — I forgot my makeup brushes.
With no time to go back, I adapted. Using only a makeup sponge, powder puff, disposable tools, and my fingers, I created a seamless, stage‑ready complexion and eye look under pressure. It wasn’t about perfection — it was about problem‑solving, calm execution, and showing up regardless.
Backstage, space was tight. Jer and I worked from a small corner, making do with what we had — and still delivering.
Makeup done by Muriel, Hair done by Jer, Photo’s captured by Emmeline at Little Moons Studio
Reflections
The response was overwhelming. Audience members spoke about the performance for weeks. Hera received incredible feedback and continuously credited the entire team — bringing us new clients and opportunities beyond the show.
Most notably, she was invited to perform again — this time for PRIDE Winnipeg at The Forks — where the concept expanded beyond a full Sabrina Carpenter tribute into something more personal, layered, and distinctly Hera.
That invitation became proof of what happens when vision, preparation, and collaboration align.
Promo Shoot for PRIDE - Makeup & Hair done by Jer, Photo’s captured by Emmeline at Little Moons Studio
More than anything, I am deeply grateful.
To Emmeline and Jer — thank you for believing in the idea when it was just that: an idea. This wouldn’t have happened without our combined creativity, trust, and willingness to build something bigger than ourselves. KSAMA is strongest when we move as a unit, and this project reminded me why I love creating alongside you both.
To Hera — thank you for your openness, your honesty, and your fearlessness. You were a dream to work with. Your vulnerability is your power. Watching you step into big opportunities without shrinking yourself reminded me to do the same — to dream bigger, move boldly, and never hesitate when something feels aligned.
And personally, this experience reaffirmed something I’ve always known but now feel even more deeply: I love collaboration. I love when ideas are shared across a table and slowly take shape in the real world. I love the process of gathering, refining, building — and then watching something that once lived in our minds come alive in front of an audience.
That’s where impact is created.
Here’s to more aligned collaborations, bigger stages, and braver ideas in 2026!
Stay Connected
Follow us on social media:
Muriel’s Instagram - @rielbeautyy
Jer’s Instagram - @artistrybyjer
Emmeline’s Instagram - @emmeline.gr
Hera’s Instagram - @misslonelyheartsss
Continue Reading:
Bands as Bands 24: Behind the Scenes with Hera as Sabrina Carpenter (Emmeline’s Blog)
Bands as Bands 2024 – Part 2: The Big Night at The Park Theatre (Emmeline’s Blog)
