New York City Ballet will soon mark the sixth installment of its Fall Gala, with costumes by an unconventional group of designers.
Monse’s Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, Off-White’s Virgil Abloh, Tsumori Chisato and Jonathan Saunders have been paired with choreographers, working in tandem to create original works set to premiere at the Sept. 28 event.
Monse will work with New York City Ballet principal dancer Lauren Lovette to create costumes for her second choreographic work for the company. Chisato has been paired with NYCB resident choreographer Justin Peck. Abloh will design costumes for a new piece by choreographer Gianna Reisen. Saunders — designing ballet costumes independently of DVF, where he is chief creative officer — has been paired with NYCB soloist Troy Schumacher, who is creating his third choreographic work for the company.
Sarah Jessica Parker has reprised her role as the gala’s event chair. The fashion gala was conceived by Parker in 2012. Each year, the actress, designer and producer wrangles fashion designers for the costuming task. Past participants have included Thom Browne, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Carolina Herrera, Marques’Almeida, Valentino, Olivier Theyskens and Dries Van Noten, among others.
Music for the fashion gala’s 2017 iteration includes the work of composers Lukas Foss for Reisen; Michael Nyman for Lovette; Igor Stravinsky for Peck, and William Walton for Schumacher.
Ballet master in chief Peter Martins will also stage his 1988 work The Chairman Dances at the gala, with costumes and sets by Rouben Ter-Arutunian.