The Ballets Russes connection with fashion

Vettese-Forster, Samantha

Abstract

This paper examines the influence that the costume designers of the Ballets Russes, many of whom were important artists from significant art movements of the day, had on contemporaneous fashion. It looks at why in particular the 'Ballets Russes' artists Leon Bakst and Natalia Goncharova went on to involve themselves in actual fashion production and the similarities between their work and the fashion designers producing work at the same time, principally Paul Poiret, Mariano Fortuny and Coco Chanel. Overall, this paper investigates the significance of the cultural times and of the distinct characteristics of the separate art forms, that may have encouraged avant-garde art and fashion to crossover and collaborate so unreservedly.

Citation

Vettese-Forster, S. (2008). The Ballets Russes connection with fashion. Costume, 42, 130-144. https://doi.org/10.1179/174963008x285232

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 9, 1999
• Publication Date: 2008
• Deposit Date: May 29, 2016
• Print ISSN: 0590-8876
• Electronic ISSN: 1749-6306
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 42
• Pages: 130-144
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/174963008x285232
• Keywords: Costume design; Ballet Russes; fashion; avant-garde art
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9976
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174963008x285232