Posts filed under: Ballet V Fashion

Although the bun hairstyle is synonymous with ballet, it owes its origins to the women of Ancient Greece, who created a hairstyle now known as the Greek knot. A simple, low-lying bun knotted at the back of the neck, it was typically adorned with jewellery as a status symbol for wealthy Greek women.

The bun would re-emerge into fashionable society during the Regency period of the 1800s. Anyone familiar with film adaptations of Jane Austen books will recognise the elegant bun hairstyles that were popular amongst middle- and upper-class women. Regency England was crazy for the Classical aesthetic, and imitated the fashion and hairstyles of ancient Greek and Rome. Women began wearing their long hair up in a bun, but lifting it higher than the Greek knot, positioning it at the back of the head.

The bun’s crowning moment came in the Victorian period. The 19th century saw many variations of the bun. “Apollo’s knot” was popular during the 1820s and 1830s, and consisted of a middle-parted, high-sitting bun, complimented with corkscrew curls around the face and ears. Another popular variation of the bun called “La Chinoise” resembled Princess Leia’s famous hairstyle in Star Wars. (more…)

Hila Shachar styles her favourite dance films. Scroll down to see the look she’s put together for Fame.

There are very few dance films that have the cult status of Alan Parker’s Fame (1980), a musical drama based on eight characters who enrol at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. While the film was remade in 2009, those of us who grew up with the original version know the appeal of Fame lies in its 1980s aesthetics. For all its fluff and cheese, however, Fame is rooted in the gritty realism of inner-city life. (more…)

In palaces and ballets, on celluloid and runways, red shoes have been turning heads for centuries. Anna Sutton explores their secrets behind their hypnotic allure.

The red shoe: a source of fascination, power and mystery to both its wearer and beholder.

The use of red shoes as a mark of distinction can be seen throughout history across different cultures, but it was particularly pronounced in the French courts. During Louis XIV’s reign, the court was the arbiter of both style and etiquette. Shoes with red ‘Louis-style’ heels were worn by courtiers to distinguish them from other aristocrats. The luxuriously sanguine hue was sourced from the red pigment of the Mexican cochineal beetle. Ironically (and inevitably), aristocrats emulated the look, making it fashionable outside the courts. The style endured until it was scorned by French Revolutionaries in the late 1700s. (more…)

Ballet-goers have long been enchanted by the classical combination of birds and dance: think Swan Lake or The Firebird. But in Aviary, the latest production from Phillip Adams’ Balletlab, the feathered creatures on stage are a very different flock to the traditional ballet birds.

“These are sort of crazy, possessed birds,” milliner Richard Nylon explains as he finishes work on his elaborate headpieces for the production. “They don’t cruise around on a mystic lake waiting for their prince to come along. They’re more fierce than that.” (more…)