16 replies to this topic

[abatt]

Here's a link to an article in today's NY Times Style section about Irina.  She has always been impeccably dressed every time I have seen her on the street, not to mention those exquisite gowns she wears to galas.

http://www.nytimes.c...sq=Irina&st=cse

[Batsuchan]

Thanks for the link abatt!  I agree, Irina is always impeccably dressed...except at Carreno's farewell!  For a second I didn't recognize her--so unusual to see her so casually dressed in jeans!

[Amour]

Given the bad review from Macauley on her SL and from other Ballet Talk posters, I think Irina should focus less on her fashionista inclinations and more on her dancing. Sounds like a lot of audience members are sick of her just phoning in her performances

[abatt]

She does seem shallow and materialistic from that article.

[puppytreats]

Did anyone watch her and Max on PBS? She did not seem the least bit materialistic there.

The forum notes that the NYT article was a "fluff piece."  It was not an serious analysis of art, but rather, a snapshot of a week in the life of a performer, with a focus on action, not thought.  The article was published in the fashion section, so the point of the article was to discuss her taste in clothes and what she wears at work, when doing errands, and at gatherings.  People are complex, with many sides to their personalities and performing many functions.  Artists have to do laundry, grocery shopping, banking, as well as dancing, exercising their minds, and creating.  Irina seemed to want to bring beauty into all parts of her life, and she was sharing how she incorporates beautiful, creative details into different parts of her day, whether on stage or not.  She was generous to share these insights.  Of course, her snippet raised more questions.

Much of what is discussed on these boards can be trivial, so criticizing Irina for what a journalist chose to write about the mundane part of  her life, which she tries to raise above the level of the mundane, is somewhat misplaced and obnoxious.

[Marga]

The NYT article is not so much an article as part of an ongoing new series which features a different celebrity each week, a human interest column for all intents and purposes. The structure is always the same: what the chosen celebrity wears on each day of the week and why. It's called "What I Wore".

I think it's wonderful that a celebrity from the ballet world was chosen so early into the series.

[abatt]

I guess that's why I never read the column before.  It seems like the objective of the column is for the subject to list as many luxury designer brands as possible that they purportedly wore over the course of several days. (Also throw in as many chic salons and exclusive parties as possible.) It's not really a human interest story, so much as a material interest story.  Not my cup of tea.

[Simon G]

I think the giveaway is that it's the Style Section. Which is about product placement, designers book space in publications for adverts on the proviso that their brand is mentioned/shown x number of times. Dvorovenko was just helping them fill their quota.

[ivypink]

Are principal dancers really paid well enough to afford Hermes? Holy cow!

[cinnamonswirl]

Principal dancers with major companies are relatively well remunerated. (Relatively being the operative word.) And don't forget endorsement deals. Irina & Max have their own line with Bloch, for example.

[emilienne]

ivypink, on 06 November 2011 - 10:34 PM, said:

Are principal dancers really paid well enough to afford Hermes? Holy cow!

From the article: "Many designers lend me dresses, but I don’t own that many."

Spaced out judiciously, as what fashion magazines like to call "investment pieces", Hermes is a very good and even (cough) cost-effective purchase.

[abatt]

Irina is well connected on the design circuit.  Her dresses at the opening night galas every year are absolutely stunning.  None of the other ladies at ABT comes close to matching her style and taste, based on what I've observed over the years.

[puppytreats]

cinnamonswirl, on 08 November 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

Principal dancers with major companies are relatively well remunerated. (Relatively being the operative word.) And don't forget endorsement deals. Irina & Max have their own line with Bloch, for example.

Are they paid outside of union contracts? Do you have any idea of the range?

[puppytreats]

emilienne, on 08 November 2011 - 11:15 AM, said:

ivypink, on 06 November 2011 - 10:34 PM, said:

Are principal dancers really paid well enough to afford Hermes? Holy cow!

From the article: "Many designers lend me dresses, but I don’t own that many."

Spaced out judiciously, as what fashion magazines like to call "investment pieces", Hermes is a very good and even (cough) cost-effective purchase.

1. It could have been a gift.
2. She could be very frugal and save on everything and give herself one special gift every 10 years.
3. She could charge her credit cards like crazy and be in debt.
4. She could be paid to wear Hermes or other designers in magazines and where she will be photographed.
5. Don't judge a book by its cover.

[4mrdncr]

puppytreats, on 08 November 2011 - 02:30 PM, said:

cinnamonswirl, on 08 November 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

Principal dancers with major companies are relatively well remunerated. (Relatively being the operative word.) And don't forget endorsement deals. Irina & Max have their own line with Bloch, for example.

Are they paid outside of union contracts? Do you have any idea of the range?

Puppytreats, check out the 990 forms of any ballet company, and you will get the top 5 people's salary list--which often includes 1 or 2 principal dancers, and can probably extrapolate from the other financial information required by the IRS.  Otherwise, there was a long thread on Ballettalk/Ballet Alert about salaries (with most of the salary ranges from corps to principal for at least the top 5 world companies. Sorry, I'm not adept enough at searching this to post a link, but maybe others can?)