Lisa’s ‘When I’m With You’ Was a K-pop Moment—These Latina Creatives Made It Happen
Lisa Manobal needs no introduction. The Thai star, member of the K-pop group Blackpink, and White Lotus actress, is a force to be reckoned with in entertainment.
In her latest music video, a collaboration with South African singer Tyla, Lisa asserts her status as one of pop music’s leading names. But did you know the creatives behind the video clip are proud Latinas?
Lisa and Tyla worked on this project with Dominican-American director Olivia de Camps and Latina-owned production company Agüita. Titled “When I’m With You,” the video clip taps into the hot summer concept. It subtly nods to music bangers of bygone days with Y2K aesthetics and a stylish wardrobe to match.
The Jefas Behind Agüita
The avant-garde, Latina-owned creative studio and company production company Agüita Inc. boasts production credits in Lisa’s music video. Co-founded by Caracas-born Veronica Leon and Mexican producer Yamel Thompson, Agüita explores culturally nuanced perspectives in the audiovisual arts scene.
Leon and Thompson founded the company in 2020, after years of producing across film, television, music videos and commercials. Previously, Leon focused on narrative filmmaking. In 2017, she produced her own feature film, Infinity Baby, starring Kieran Culkin, which premiered at SXSW. She eventually moved to Los Angeles and became a founding member of Zoe Saldaña’s media company BESE. Thompson joined her as lead for their branded series.
“We kept running into the same industry gaps. Spaces where bold, multicultural voices were still treated as niche or secondary,” they share. “We created Agüita to challenge that. ”Our goal was to build a creative studio and production company that’s driven by taste, cultural depth, and meticulous attention to craft—and to do so on our own terms.“
And that’s exactly what they did
Nowadays, Agüita is composed of a 95% female, 100% minority, and proudly multilingual team. “That’s not by design, it just comes naturally because of who we are,” the producers explain. Naturally, their work has been heavily influenced by their Latin American heritage. “At times, it influences the stories we choose to tell, or how we choose to tell them,” they say. “It’s embedded in the way we work. It informs the aesthetics we embrace and the collaborative spirit we foster within our team.”
With shared values and respectful friendship at the core of Leon and Thompson’s creative partnership, Agüita has built a rich body of work. Music powerhouses such as Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, and Becky G stand out in their portfolio. Though the producing duo emphasize they’re proud of all their projects, recent highlights for the company include Becky G’s Esquinas album campaign and commercial material for fashion brands. “More recently, we produced the Winter 2024 campaign for UGG, shot in the Chilean Andes with our director Erynn Lamont. [It was a] job that challenged us but resulted in an incredible piece of work,” they say.
Inspired by their passion for art collecting and their commitment to shedding light on Latin American creatives, they are also working on a project scheduled for the summer. “We are currently curating an art show and dinner, where we will be featuring 5 incredible Latin American visual artists,” they say. “This is an ongoing series of art shows and dinners, hosted by us, featuring Latin American chefs and artists, called ü. We’re thrilled!”
Agüita takes the global scene by storm
Of course, Leon and Thompson are also “super proud” of their latest project. Lisa and Tyla’s music video for “When I’m With You.” According to the producers, working with the pop icons was “both a challenge and pure joy.” In addition to featuring artists with such strong identity, the music video included a brand collaboration with the audio equipment company BOSE. Putting together this creative puzzle, they said, was what made the process enjoyable and worth it.
“We creatively produced and post-produced it at Agüita, the whole shebang, from soup to nuts. The vision was to create a dreamy, sunlit, sexy and sweaty summer celebration reminiscent of the classic pop music videos of the early 2000s, which we grew up with. Something simple, yet dynamic and visually elevated,” They tell FIERCE. “We worked closely with Lisa’s and Tyla’s teams to preserve that sense of intimacy while keeping the energy dynamic and true to both artists. Seeing how deeply fans connected with it has been one of the most rewarding moments for us this year.”
It couldn’t be otherwise. The video clip brought Lisa and Tyla together for what the internet collectively agreed was “a joint slay.” Directed by Dominican-American director Olivia de Camps, “When I’m With You” quickly took the internet by storm.
Who’s Olivia de Camps
If the name Olivia De Camps rings a bell, it’s probably because the writer and director has become a go-to collaborator for some of the world’s favorite stars. In addition to working with Lisa, De Camps recently made headlines for directing the music video for Marina’s highly anticipated return, “Cuntissimo.” The director has also worked on Rebecca Black’s “Trust!”, Tokischa and Nathy Peluso’s “De Maravisha“, and Yuna’s collaboration with chicocurlyhead, “I’ll show you.”
Beyond her work as a music video director, De Camps explores complex stories, often related to Latin America and the Caribbean, through short films. Her ability to capture the beauty of places and the contrasting social reality has earned her recognition at film festivals. In fact, Olivia’s debut short film, Chico Virtual, was selected for screeners at various festivals and received, among other accolades, the “Audience Award“ at the Chicago International Film Festival’s Cine Youth. HBO/Max later acquired the short film.
Per her website, De Camps is working on her first feature film, which will be filmed in the Dominican Republic.
More Latino talent in K-Pop
Along with the direction and production credits, Latino talent in fashion and beauty also had a moment on “When I’m With You.” In the music video, Lisa stunned in an archival minidress by Dominican Lebanese designer Giannina Azar. The piece featured silver beading and trendy cut-outs and made a prominent appearance onscreen as Lisa and Tyla showed off their dancing chops.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Azar, the designer is known for her custom-made designs for celebrities. Focusing on craftsmanship and couture techniques, her pieces are highly elaborate and red-carpet appropriate. Azar’s long list of celebrity clients includes Gwen Stefani, Thalia, and JLo. However, one of her most recognizable designs is a silver bodysuit worn by Beyoncé on the alternative cover of her album Renaissance.
And in case you missed it, Lisa also rocks the most stylish nail art. The mastermind behind the fabulous sets? Nail expert Juan Alvear, who has crafted the most eye-catching designs for the majority of Lisa’s public appearances, including her Met Gala debut.
Latino power all the way!
