Last night, NYCB stars shared the spotlight with Carolina Herrera, Mary Katrantzou, and Thom Browne, whose designs also graced the Koch Theater stage.
For the third year running, New York City Ballet board member Sarah Jessica Parker led the charge in recruiting fashion’s leading talents, both emerging and established, to design costumes for the world premieres at the company’s annual fall gala. That meant that last night, ballet stars like outgoing NYCB principal Wendy Whelan and choreographic boy wonder (and **Peter Martins’**s potential heir apparent) Justin Peck shared the spotlight with Carolina Herrera, Mary Katrantzou, and Thom Browne, whose designs also graced the Koch Theater stage. Vogue.com commissioned this photo essay from behind the scenes.
Photographed by Alex Welsh1/14Tiler Peck soaring in a Sarah Burton–designed dress during the world premiere of Liam Scarlett’s new work.
Photographed by Alex Welsh2/14Dancers warming up to dance Justin Peck’s latest, in dresses and unitards designed by Mary Katrantzou.
Photographed by Alex Welsh3/14The ribbons match Mrs. Herrera.
Photographed by Alex Welsh4/14Outgoing NYCB principal Wendy Whelan performed Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth with Tyler Angle in this Valentino costume, made for the 2012 gala.
Photographed by Alex Welsh5/14Robbie Fairchild also wore McQueen to dance Liam Scarlett’s new pas de deux with his new bride, Tiler.
Photographed by Alex Welsh6/14A moment of repose before the curtain goes up.
Photographed by Alex Welsh7/14Thom Browne admitted that he doesn’t really consider movement when designing his collectsions, making these schoolboy outfits a new venture for the maestro of American avant-garde.
Photographed by Alex Welsh8/14Carolina Herrera collaborated with her longtime friend and NYCB Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins’ on Morgen, originally created in 2001.
Photographed by Alex Welsh9/14Browne’s costumes were paired with the NYCB choreographic debut of corps de ballet member Troy Schumacher.
Photographed by Alex Welsh10/14Browne backstage.
Photographed by Alex Welsh11/14The latest piece from the young choreographer Justin Peck, who has been heralded by some as the future of ballet.
Photographed by Alex Welsh12/14Katrantzou made some last-minute alterations to the color of the men’s unitards after seeing how washed-out colors can be under stage lights.
Photographed by Alex Welsh13/14Peck performing with her new husband, Fairchild. Both plan to temporarily defect to the theater world, where Fairchild will star in an adaptation of Gene Kelly’s 1951 film An American in Paris and Peck will lead Little Dancer, a new musical premiering at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., next month.
Photographed by Alex Welsh14/14Flower petals, post-performance.
Vogue’s former Creative Editorial Director is from Southern California, but considers himself a born-and-raised New Yorker. ... Read More