Fashion Designers and The Ballet - Lagerfeld and Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel have designed some interesting costumes for ballet - Coco Chanel created the original costumes for George Balanchine's 1929 Apollo (and had an affair with its composer, Igor Stravinsky).

Karl Lagerfeld designed a tutu exclusively for British National Ballet’s revival of the Fokine solo number in The Dying Swan. Three women worked for 100 hours to create it from tulle and 2,500 feathers! Here is a video of private performance by Senior Principal dancer Elena Glurdjidze in the Chanel Couture Salon.

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Fashionists loved the costume but ballet critics were divided, as many felt that the feather collar and the tutu sat too high on the waist, ruining the lines of the body and making the dancer look plump. I liked the costume but I'm not sure that if I was in the audience that I wouldn't be constantly flashed, seeing Elena Glurdjidze's bottom! I do wish that Lagerfeld had designed for the men too - I find it quite distracting seeing them in their tights - is it a rule that the lead male dancer always has the biggest package? I haven't seen that many ballet performances but as a trend spotter I have to call it as I see it...