Ballet and fashion is one of most symbiotic relationships of the modern period. Ballet is a visual art, and costumes are a key aspect. Fashion needs a stage and models, and dancers can deliver that. The Museum at FIT’s 2020 exhibition on the ballerina is my dream exhibition, which just so happens to be available online. (Yes, we all can enjoy it and drool over it repeatedly!) And of course, I had to get the exhibition book for myself, as well. So, as promised, here is my Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse book review for you!
I’ve chatted about exhibition books before- you can read my post here! I don’t necessarily think that you need to purchase the accompanying book for every exhibition you attend. However, after spending quite some time enjoying the online Ballerina exhibition, I had to buy this book for myself. It’s gorgeous, if you are of the coffee table book persuasion. And the essays included are incredibly well-written by experts, and so interesting and engaging. This particular exhibition book is absolutely a worthwhile purchase!
Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse, ed. Patricia Mears
A gorgeously illustrated look at the profound influence that classical ballet and the ballerina have had on high fashion
Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse is a revelatory, irresistible treat for dance aficionados and fashionistas alike. Couturiers such as Balmain, Balenciaga, Chanel, Schiaparelli, Charles James, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent designed ballet-inspired dresses and gowns, many featuring the boned bodices and voluminous tulle skirts of classical tutus. And ready-to-wear designers such as Claire McCardell found inspiration in ballet leotards and other practice clothing, creating knitted separates, bathing suits, and wrap dresses. Written by fashion and ballet experts, the book is illustrated with archival photography by such masters as Richard Avedon, Edward Steichen, Irving Penn, Man Ray, and Cecil Beaton, along with newly commissioned photography of contemporary ballerinas wearing ballet-influenced couture.
There are eight different chapters in this book. They are: “Crown Jewels”, “Fashion and Dance Costume in the Nineteenth Century”, “Taglioni and Pavlova: Makings of the Modern Ballerina”, “Ballet and Couture in the Mid-Century”, “Enter the Ballerina: Margot Fonteyn and Fashion, 1950s-1960s”, “Dryads of West 55th St”, “American Ballet and Ready-to-Wear Fashion, 1940s-1950s”, and “Waifs and Mods: Ballet and Fashion, 1960s to 1970s”. As you can see, it covers quite a span, from the early nineteenth century to the mid-1990s. There is a focus on the NYCB in the twentieth century, but there is quite a close relationship between the Museum at FIT and the NYCB.
Before you read the book, visit the online exhibition and my review!
What You Will Find Inside
While the book is based on the exhibition, it includes far more information than you could read in front of you. I personally prefer this kind of exhibition book. It isn’t just a copy of the exhibition or the highlights, but rather adds to it and enhances it. It physically is a good-sized book, and although it is more expensive than your typical paperback, it is a gorgeous book, and an academic book at that. (I can’t imagine that it has an insanely large print run.) You don’t have to have any prior knowledge to read it and enjoy, though. The authors have all written in-depth and interesting essays that go into quite a bit of detail for specialists but broad enough for anyone new to ballet history.
Margot Fonteyn: Prima Ballerina and Fashion Muse
I will unashamedly admit that my favourite essay in the book was the Margot Fonteyn chapter. If you didn’t know, Margot Fonteyn, an English prima ballerina, was an incredibly popular dancer from a young age, and then her popularity re-surged in her early 40s when she partnered with Rudolph Nuryev. And she was much like Marie Taglioni, in that everyone knew who she was. (Not just ballet fans!) The fashion world adored Fonteyn, and she was one of Dior’s favourite clients. You might not know who all of the NYCB dancers are that pop up throughout the book. (I didn’t, and I’m pretty well versed in ballet history/dancers.) Most everyone will know who Margot Fonteyn is, though!
Rosemary Harden from the Fashion Museum in Bath wrote this essay, as the Fashion Museum has several of Fonteyn’s garments. I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Rosemary, and she is simply wonderful. I was quite excited to read her chapter, and it did not disappoint. Fonteyn was a model for Dior, and a client for several different designers. Because she was such a popular figure, designers wanted her in their clothing. (What better publicity could they ask for??) I didn’t know much about her relationship with other designers, like YSL. There are also pictures of the most gorgeous pieces in this essay!
Costumes, Costumes, Costumes!
I also really loved that this exhibition/ book covered ballet costumes throughout the decades. It seems obvious but when fashion and ballet are discussed together, costumes somehow get forgotten a lot. It is almost exclusively NYCB costumes, but it is lovely to have that insight. (Also once again, more pictures of beautiful costumes that you will probably drool over like I have been….)
♠
I hope that you’ve enjoyed my Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse book review; what are you reading right now?
Cheers,
The Historian
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