Bonjour mes chéries!
Welcome to another edition of #TutuTuesday, your weekly dose of ballet tutu history! Itâs me, your fabulous friend, Emma, back with all the frills, fancies and tutu-tastic news from the glorious world of ballet. Iâm thrilled to be bringing you this post from the beautiful city of Paris, where Iâm soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying some heavenly French pastries, and exploring the most incredible Parisian shops! Iâve got to say, shopping in the City of Lights is pure joy â so many charming little boutiques bursting with beautiful things. And did I mention that they all seem to carry an amazing array of the most delectable pink tutus? Seriously, darling, you haven't truly lived until you've donned a perfect pink tutu while browsing boulevard boutiques in the sunshine!
But, before I get carried away, back to the business at hand â our history lesson! Let's rewind the clock, darling, back to June 7th, 1921, shall we? It was a day brimming with exciting new ideas in the world of ballet, with some seriously delightful creations, even by my own standards, (and believe me, Iâve seen it all!). It seems 1921 was a real pivotal year for fashion. Think, for a moment, of fashion innovators like Coco Chanel and Jean Patou who were already breaking down the traditional forms of womenâs clothing.
Today, I am thrilled to be introducing you to the gorgeous Russian ballerina Tamara Karsavina. A renowned dancer of the era, known for her impeccable technique and stunning stage presence, Tamara was already a fashion icon back then and is definitely someone Iâd love to meet and chat fashion with! She was, after all, a dear friend and muse to the famed designer Coco Chanel. Isnât it just wonderful? We see in Tamara Karsavina, an incredible artist who wasn't afraid to push the boundaries of what ballet fashion could be, a vision that would change the game for ballet dancers, bringing the elegant flow of the new feminine style into their wardrobe, from everyday to performance wear!
Tamara and the famous designer Paul Poiret created a masterpiece with his innovative, free-flowing tutus, the like of which was never seen before. This design, in particular, broke away from the very formal and rigid forms of classical ballet costumes that had defined the stage for years. Can you imagine, a rigid and stifling garment on the stage when youâre putting your body through such a strenuous, beautiful, free flow of movements? In the early 1900s, a tutu looked like a rather stuffy, traditional Victorian outfit with an extended layer of netting to give it that characteristic "tutu" shape, something I've always felt is far too restricted. But then came along a revolution â Paul Poiret with his signature luxurious, soft fabrics like chiffon and silk in ethereal colors, creating an effect which had the dancer appear as if she were dancing "on air."
The new ballet attire made its stage debut in Paris at the ThĂ©atre des Champs-ElysĂ©es (isnât that name fabulous?), with Tamara Karsavina starring in Sergei Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes performance of "The Three-Cornered Hat". The entire world became captivated! And the news traveled around the world with a gust of exciting news in the newspapers and magazines at the time, a beautiful buzz created in the ballet and theatre communities and fashion circles around the world, making this new, free-flowing style of dress even more significant than you might initially think!
These were truly daring outfits. In this case, the revolutionary dress designed by Poiret was quite shocking for ballet audiences who were so accustomed to the very structured, formal appearance of the tutu on stage. So the move towards more delicate and feminine tutu designs which resembled everyday fashion must have been absolutely astounding!
The new look was in the air, darling, so it wasn't just confined to the stage! Imagine the buzz this must have generated on the streets of Paris! This move toward soft, more fluid garments with flowing silhouettes - we are talking about the "Empire waist" and flowing layers which became synonymous with the 1920s' look in dressmaking - definitely echoed this style with itâs emphasis on a new sense of movement and ease! Think of the amazing gowns, which came down to the ankles in luxurious fabrics! These became the ultimate feminine statement.
I really wish I could step into the past, don a few of these lovely creations and wander about the grand Parisian cafes, feeling like a vision of beauty myself!
Of course, ballet always was, and remains, a huge part of the creative flow and design trends. Imagine - from the first ballerina in a tutu dancing under the stage lights, through the "Golden Age" of Ballet and up to the current scene today, weâve got our ballerinas setting trends! They've inspired couture design houses for many decades. You're not imagining things, dear tutu lovers!
The gorgeous, glamorous, iconic Marilyn Monroe in the late 1940s - well, we must mention Tutu Mania, which, like a perfect "grand jetĂ©" of a graceful ballerina, is just a magnificent leap of an incredible fashion trend from ballet to fashion! That gorgeous white "ballet style" tutu worn by Monroe, which she had to have made, inspired many! But Marilyn also loved the elegant designs of Christian Dior who created what was known as the âNew Lookâ of the 1940s! It featured full, gathered skirts and feminine forms, very much reflecting this shift towards soft and delicate designs! We see how, during that decade, designers like Elsa Schiaparelli, * another great woman and design icon! She designed outfits that looked like they could have stepped out of a fairytale - again that romantic idea that made me think âthatâs just how we must dress - beautifully!â. Thereâs always a romantic feeling of a kind of ethereal beauty in the world of dance and the tutu plays an enormous role in all this! Even today, couture and prĂȘt-Ă -porter, are often inspired by the classic âballet tutu.â I think the ultimate example of that is the gorgeous ballerina-like *Princess Grace Kelly, who actually gave up her career as a Hollywood actress to be with her handsome prince! A lovely romance if ever I saw one! I even heard thereâs a ballet company that has a ballet called âGraceâ.
Of course, we always come full circle, and this love for âballet styleâ dressing seems to be in every season in some form, and for this I can only give my grateful, loving âbravoâ. Now, how do I feel this morning about the fabulous, pink tutus which are so in fashion this spring!?!?
Pink is my colour! Darling, in every imaginable shade! And that lovely pastel pink tutu? A dream! I really love those colours - they remind me of the colour of a blooming cherry blossom or the blush of the sunrise over the ocean on a spring morning, how very poetic. It's truly no wonder that pink is always so in fashion, because who can resist a dose of happy color, just like my beloved pink tutus?
Now you see, darling, why I love history! It's so much fun to learn where and how something began - in this case, Tutu Mania, a love of all things âballet style,â it's part of our modern world of fashion. But also a very real love of beautiful music, artistic expression, incredible dancers and a gorgeous design world where everyone gets a little bit of glamour in their life!
Have you been lucky enough to wear a pink tutu? Don't forget to tag me in your gorgeous photos on social media. And, while we are on the subject of pink, if you are looking for a great pink tutu to add to your wardrobe or want a fun day âout and aboutâ, check out www.pink-tutu.com for a superlative collection of pink tutus, fashion and accessories !
You have a splendid Tuesday!
Yours in pink tutus,
Emma
P.S. I'm going to have a delicious lunch at Maxim's, the legendary restaurant - with a perfect, frilly pink tutu, of course. Stay tuned to find out what I get up to this week on my time travels!
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