Valentino Costumes for the New York City Ballet

Yesterday I posted about how fashion can inspire costume design. It seems that the reverse can be true as well. Valentino has been working with the New York City Ballet on some new designs for their Fall Gala (Which takes place tonight).

Mr. Valentino at work in the NYCB Costume shop alongside his longtime business partner Giancarlo Giammetti and NYCB Director of Costumes Marc Happel. Photo provided by NYCB.

As many know Mr. Valentino has retired from the fashion industry but apparently he was not done creating his beautiful feminine silhouettes. In an article from the Huffington Post Valentino is quoted as saying “I stopped because in the `fashion world,’ I had done almost everything, and fashion was taking a direction I didn’t like, … This is a new life for me, and it’s been a very beautiful experience.”

For those of us that can’t make the Gala tonight the NYCB has been kind enough to share some photos of his work. You can also follow the events via the NYCB twitter feed. Enjoy!

A close-up look at a bodice. All sewn by hand! Photo by NYCB

Warm Ups in Rehearsal Skirts. Photo by the NYCB.

 

Detailing on a Valentino Costume. Photo by NYCB

Principal Dancer Janie Taylor in her Valentino Gown. Photo by NYCB.

Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan in her Valentino Gown. Photo by NYCB

 

 

Inspiration – Spring 2013 Fashion Week

Fashion week just wrapped up here in NYC where we had drones of designers, celebrities, industry bigwigs and fashionistas descend to immerse themselves in the runway scene. While I do generally try to stay out of the hullabaloo, this year I dove in and worked backstage on a few shows. As it turns out the runway does provide an interesting source of inspiration for costume design.

In the theater, many costume designs tend to be based on historical fashions, in which case having a through knowledge of period, cuts, and fabrics can only enhance a costume designer’s work. For this information you need not look further than your local museum or library. Other shows however require a more futuristic take on the world, in which case certain designers such as Alexander Wang are wonderful to look to for inspiring garments.

Alexander Wang Spring 2012 – Image Provided by The NYTimes

Spring 2012 NY- Image Provided By the NYTimes

Spring 2021 NY – Image Provided by the NYTimes

And sometimes fashion is playful and inventive in a way that is throughly in line with the theater world.  In this case it’s can be helpful to look to fashion for ideas in shape, color and cut that might inspire the next design.

Meadham Kirchhoff Spring 2013

Peter Pilotto Spring 2013

As a designer I am always trying to look for inspiration  in new places. Fashion week is a wealth of color, style and shape and I can’t wait to see what else London and Paris have to offer this year.

Sleep No More and SXSW?

Punchdrunk, the creative team from London who set the NYC theater world ablaze with their show Sleep No More, is trying to take their newest creative vision to the  2013 South By South West conference. In conjunction with the MIT Media lab up in Boston they hope to present a new way of interacting with their immersive theater which merges theater and online gaming, live audience and online viewers.

For more information click the link here or watch the video below. To vote for Punchdrunk to present at SXSW click here.