“I’ve known Carolina for many, many years, and we always talked about doing something together, and we finally did it!” announced Peter Martins, ballet master in chief of the New York City Ballet, at the company’s fall gala. He was referring to Carolina Herrera, who designed the costumes for the Martins-choreographed gala opener, “Morgen.”
Morgen was the first of five pieces (three of which were world premieres, no less) pairing costumes by noted fashion designers with the company’s incomparable stable of choreographers and dancers a conceit dreamed up by gala co-chair Sarah Jessica Parker that has proven highly successful. Indeed, Martins thanked Parker in particular: “For this fashion-design idea, it’s doing pretty well, my dear!” he said, making an understatement.
The three world premieres included Troy Schumacher’s “Clearing Dawn,” which made brilliant use of Thom Browne’s boyish suiting (in a pre-performance video, Browne noted the challenges of adapting to costume design, where facility of movement is paramount. “Usually, I don’t really think about movement in my clothes,” he admitted).
Liam Scarlett’s “Funérailles,” which featured costumes by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was a particularly romantic pas de deux for the inside-NYCB cognoscenti, considering that it featured Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild’s first performance as a married couple after their June nuptials. Choreographer in residence Justin Peck’s “Belles-Lettres” closed the program with Mary Katrantzou’s lace-letter-appliquéd costumes, bringing welcome literalness to the title.
At the gala dinner a maze of Delftware-decorated tables in a forest of birches with hanging lanterns instead of leaves Martins called all the choreographers and designers up to the dance floor. Parker, gowned thematically in Mary Katrantzou, rushed up to take a photo with her smartphone like a proud mother at her child’s soccer-team picture.
Sarah Jessica Parker sat herself at the head of her table, flanked by Browne and Andrew Bolton, while at the other end her date, Andy Cohen, chatted with Lizzie Tisch, who had made a last-minute wardrobe change earlier that evening, opting to wear her mother’s diamond-print dress from two decades ago. Veronica Chou and Tina Craig (perhaps better known as BagSnob) had arrived earlier this week from Dallas, where Chou had spent the weekend touring private art collections and celebrating Mario Testino’s “Alta Moda” opening at the Dallas Contemporary Museum.
“And what did I forget to mention?” asked Martins coyly at the end of his speech. “Only the best dancers in the world.” Guests erupted in applause as the dancers entered the gala, beaming widely, their hair and makeup still intact from their performance.
