There has always been a connection between the world of ballet and the world of fashion. Many designers look to ballet for inspiration and ideas while more recently, ballet has looked to designers to create costumes for the dance. This has seen designers such as Riccardo Tisci and Miuccia Prada creating ballet costumes for some of the big ballet companies around the world.

In some cases, these collaborations have led to some very notable creations!

Bolero, Paris Opera Ballet

For this showing of the classic Bolero by Maurice Ravel, designer Riccardo Tisci created a series of almost transparent costumes for the dancers. Onto them, he embroidered bones and other skeletal features to create a startling accent for their natural movement.

Fortuna Desperata, American Ballet Theatre

This classic Italian ballet saw the return to the stage of David Hallberg for the first time in over 12 months when it was launched in 2015. And his appearance was even more noticeable due to the costume he was wearing – a creation from Miuccia Prada and Fabio Zambernadi. The startling costume of tunic and skirt was not one anyone watching would forget!

La Source, Paris Opera Ballet

Many will say that ballet is a sparkling performance but when Christmas Lacroix added some 2 million Swarovski crystals to the costume he made for the production of La Source, this took a very literal meaning. With silk and crystals everywhere, the Paris Opera Ballet has never sparkled quite so much.

Les Nuits, Ballet Preljocaj

It is true to say that the costumes created by Azzedine Alaïa for the performance of Les Nuits left little to the imagination. But then, this perfectly suited the story and complemented the erotically charged storyline.

Ocean’s Kingdom, New York City Ballet

This production became a family affair when Stella McCartney created costumes for the performance created by her father, Sir Paul McCartney. These surreal and psychedelic designs perfectly matched the storyline of duelling supernatural kingdoms while allowing the dancers all the movement that they needed.

Snow White, Ballet Preljoca

If there is one designer who seems perfect for designing ballet costumes, it is Jean Paul Gaultier. And that was the case in the costumes he designed for the production of Snow White. The fairy tale was given classic Gaultier treatment including leather bustier and a range of styles specially adapted for dancing including cleverly altered corsets.

Spectral Evidence, New York City Ballet

The story of this ballet revolves around the accusations of witchcraft that led to the Salem Witch Trials. For this, Olivier Theyskens employed visual cues to help the audience instantly grasp the social stigma that these women faced using red marks on their costumes.

Two Hearts, New York City Ballet

This ballet was expertly choreographed by Benjamin Millepied. And one of the stand out features of the show was the starting black and white costumes worn by the dancers. These were paired down, understated and yet very eye catching and were created by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy.