Dresses named for dancers

[Farrell Fan]

Today's New York Sun headlined an article about Michael Kors's spring collection "Dancer Chic." It said, "Several dresses were named after favorite dancers. The 'Fonteyn' dress was a glamorous black V-neck number with a tan belt. A soft pink mini dress in silk chiffon, accented with a simple black bow, was dubbed the 'Farrell' dress. For serious drama, there was the 'Graham' gown: a high-neck Jersey gown with a plunging back and a hem that swept the floor."

The "Graham" gown sounds like a possibility, but I'll bet Ballet Talkers could design dresses more appropriate than those mentioned

[carbro]

Thanks, FF! Here's the link to the Sun article.

Kors' website is still showing the fall collection. It will be interesting to see the actual dresses, once they're up, because I agree with you that some of them seem to be misnamed.

[Hans]

I would think a dress named for Farrell would pretty much have to be white.

[carbro]

Actually, I was envisioning a deep gray-blue.

[sandik]

Perhaps I'm being too sanguine, but I think it's interesting that he would use dancers' names, whatever the actual dresses look like -- that he expects people to recognize the names as dancers' names is rather cheerful.

[Paul Parish]

Actually for the Farrell, I instantly pictured her costume in Allegro Brillante -- maybe the skirt was longer, ....

but she was moving so fast in that it was always flying.... and all those sous-sus'es gave her a bit of an Amazon look, so the idea of a dress that's an extended Grecian tunic is whati was picturing and quite liking for her.

I am having trouble picturing a dramatic black dress with a tan belt....

And yes, Graham and jersey is a well-known marriage.

[perky]

Pearl gray chiffon for Farrell and navy blue silk for Fonteyn.

[carbro]

Perhaps I'm being too sanguine, but I think it's interesting that he would use dancers' names, whatever the actual dresses look like -- that he expects people to recognize the names as dancers' names is rather cheerful.

Given the demographic of Kors' customer base -- affluent with all that that implies -- and given the fame of the names given to the three dresses cited, I would be surprised if more than a few people didn't recognize the names. The Delia Peters* or the Carmen Barth** -- now, they would have caused me to do a double take!

I am having trouble picturing a dramatic black dress with a tan belt....

Moi too. I wonder if it was meant to be a matte gold but appeared tan.

*NYCB de facto demisoloist, 1960s-1980s.

**ABT de facto demisoloist, 1970s-1980s.

[bart]

More on designers inspired by ballet -- from the October "Dance Magazine":

Bridal fashion icon Vera Wang has often cited her dance background as inspiration for the way she makes clothes -- "I studied ballet and worked in front of a mirror, so I became obsessed with proportions." In her elegant Resort 2007 collection, Wang's inspirations are Balanchine, the Bolshoi, and the Ballets Russes.

And how about mirrors? also from "Dance" -- Batsheva Dance Company director Ohad Naharin talks to editor Wendy Perron:

I want to say: Abolish mirrors; break your mirrors in all studios. They spoil your soul and prevent you from getting in touch with the elements and multidimensional movements and abstract thinking, and knowing where you are at all times without looking at yourself. Dance is about sensations, not about an image of yourself.

[chrisk217]

photos from the kors collection:

the fonteyn dress:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...ay=false&cnt=36

the farrell dress:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...play=false&cnt=

i think the graham dress is this but I'm not sure (lots of jersey dresses):

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...rend=&iphoto=55

May also be this:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...lay=false&cnt=3

all the collection can be found here:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...ete/thumb/MKORS

what do you think?

[Helene]

I'll play!

photos from the kors collection:

the fonteyn dress:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...ay=false&cnt=36

Love the dress, but it doesn't make me think "Fonteyn."

For Fonteyn, I would have chosen:

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00580m.jpg

She could have worn this, maybe with the shoulders up:

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00050m.jpg

She’d have looked ab fab in this one:

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00290m.jpg

the farrell dress:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...play=false&cnt=

And I never think of Farrell in a nightie.

I think Farrell would look great in this little black dress (and a different belt):

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00160m.jpg

(As would Calegari, with her red hair.) But I don't think Kors and Farrell are a good match.

i think the graham dress is this but I'm not sure (lots of jersey dresses):

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...rend=&iphoto=55

May also be this:

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collecti...lay=false&cnt=3

I could see the first being Graham, but it needs a skirt. But the black dress is perfection.

I think Graham would have looked stunning in this one (maybe with a different belt):

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00560m.jpg

(Edited to add: when I clicked on the first link, it brought up this photo http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00210m.jpg originally, hence the skirt comment.}

This skirt is like a sea creature; both Farrell and Fonteyn would have been knockouts in it:

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00340m.jpg

So many of his tops look like ballet practice clothes.

At his best Kors uses the fabric in the most wonderous way, full of motion and grace:

(skirt)

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00190m.jpg

(dress skirt):

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00380m.jpg

http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionsho...NWAY/00570m.jpg