Bonjour, mes chéries! It's your favourite tutu-tastic time traveller, Emma, back with another extra fabulous #TutuTuesday post from the archives of pink-tutu.com. Grab your pinkest feather boa, a steaming cuppa, and settle in, darlings, because today we're stepping back in time to the magical year of 1892.
This week, Iâve whisked myself off to a particularly stylish corner of the world - oh, letâs just say a bustling metropolis on the Seine! Why Paris, you ask? Because cheries - Paris is the place to be in 1892!
My journey back through time this week took me right into the midst of a ballet extravaganza at the Opéra Garnier. Talk about feeling like a princess! The theatre is an absolute show-stopper - opulent chandeliers, swirling staircases, and those velvet red seats⊠utterly divine!
Now, my TutuTuesday quest for the history of this wondrous garment led me to the grand Palais Garnier â what a majestic place!
But let's rewind a little bit. Today, 22nd November, 1892, I'm just a teeny bit jealous because this very day the infamous Paris Opera Ballet is showcasing The Sleeping Beauty! It's an absolute masterpiece, with a phenomenal score and beautiful sets and costumes, even by todayâs standards. Imagine being swept away into the enchantment of the ballet, right in this very historic theatre, how amazing is that!
The world was buzzing about the Grand Ballet and even The New York Times declared the show âexceedingly charming.â Thatâs quite the bravo in my book, right? I am SO wishing I could get a glimpse of this amazing show, a girl can dream!
So, you know how much I adore tutus and how I've travelled all over the world, just so I could share the love of tutus with all of you, and as much as I love tutus and the fashion scene in general - you know I'm a little biased â Paris, darling, just makes everything more fashionable. They call it a city of lights for a reason, chĂ©rie. The Haute Couture was, well, even more haute than usual â we are talking lavish fabrics, feathers, corsets, swoon-worthy silhouettes! And tutus⊠letâs just say, those ballerinaâs must have had to contend with a lot of layers under those glorious tutus! The tulle was simply breathtaking â itâs got to be a challenge dancing with so much tulle swirling around, but when itâs Parisian⊠I suppose anything is possible.
Talking of Paris, cheries, you will be interested to know about the ThĂ©Ăątre de l'OpĂ©ra de Paris, oh my - where are my manners â did I forget to tell you that the Palais Garnier was where my journey led me to, mais oui!, so that's where all this haute drama was happening. In the early days of ballet, the theatre, darling, is where it's at â a glorious space for all the elegance and spectacle and excitement, think velvet curtains and gushing music, yes cheries, and of course â fabulous tutus!
Did you know cheries that while the ThĂ©Ăątre de l'OpĂ©ra de Paris, where all the magic was happening, it had some controversy, like some of the most popular ballet places now? There were arguments about who the stars should be in The Sleeping Beauty, just as there are arguments about the prima ballerinas in todayâs Royal Opera House in London. What goes around comes around, eh cheries. But it didn't affect those haute tutus â because there was no arguing with that fabulous design and the perfect material to make haute ballet history. You need material for your haute couture tutus. You can't use any old material, cheries. You have to think carefully - lightweight, yes â you can't get that swirling motion with some dense material, luxurious, yes, so they don't fray, they have to last in all those haute rehearsals, and they need the perfect amount of structure so you get the haute ballerina pose perfectly. Youâd be shocked by the difference between the quality of the materials from way back in 1892 and some of the modern ballet companies. Back in 1892 the detail was something to be marveled at - like tiny jewels adorning those perfect tulle, beautiful silk to make the costumes just as glamorous as the tutu, all that effort! And they just had the finest skills of artisans in their area, that really did take artistry - I mean look at some of those early tutu pictures - some have to be considered true works of art. I would love to find a designer like that to recreate a real Sleeping Beauty haute tutu just for me.
Oh darling, imagine that time travel adventure, being able to visit those old theatres, just as beautiful as any contemporary theatres. Thereâs magic in the air! I bet the perfume back then was just as amazing - think lilies, orchids - it's got to be divine.
Talking of those magical places⊠cheries how many tutu obsessed people are out there, the people that just have to be in their own world just a bit more, in their own fantasy, where tutus and fairies are the real deal? Letâs just admit cheries it is so much fun and so beautiful. And while I am a big fan of today's Ballet and contemporary dances cheries, thereâs just something hautely delightful about tutus. Theyâre almost like portable fantasies. You canât not smile in a pink tutu cheries - thatâs just the way of life in tutu-land, thatâs the ultimate way to add a sprinkle of extra sparkle to everything! They really take the ordinary and poof, turn it into a fantastic dream - a little magical moment that lets everyone in on the fun! Thatâs whatâs so fab about wearing one.
Remember darling, if it's your #TutuTuesday, there's never ever a better time to don a haute pink tutu.
Love from my sparkly wardrobe to yours.
Emma x
www.pink-tutu.com
