Christian Lacroix created 130 costumes for 'La Source', including 39 original designs, decorated with over two million Swarovski Elements.
Embroidery, tiaras, saris and fairy costumes emerged from the close collaboration between the workrooms of the Opéra national de Paris and Swarovski, blending ethnic influences and classical taste, enhanced by the sparkle of crystal.
The beautiful production played at the prestigious Opéra national de Paris, from 22nd October to 12th November 2011.
'La Source' is a typical nineteenth century ballet in which romanticism vies with orientalism, and yet the plot highlights the relationship between Man and Nature in a surprisingly modern way.
Persian palaces and fragile nature form a perfect setting for Christian Lacroix`s imagination to conjure up a sumptuous and dreamlike world of Elves, Nymphs, Khans and Odalisques.
The legendary and fantastical world of Persia serves as a backdrop for the thwarted love affairs of the hunter Djemil, the beautiful Nouredda and Naïla, the spirit of the spring.
It is a ballet in two acts and three tableaux. The Libretto is based on the work by Charles Nuitter and Arthur Saint-Léon.
The light and colourful score brought were together by the renowned 19th century composer Leo Delibes and his Austrian contemporary Ludwig Minkus.
The libretto by Arthur Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter draws on Wagnerian romanticism, orientalism and Shakespearian influences, and contrasts the real world with the realm of elves, nymphs and ethereal beings.
For his first creation for the Paris National Opera Ballet, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Principal Dancer, takes this storyline and revives a forgotten work from the dance repertoire, which was created at the Paris Opera in 1866.
Working closely with Clément Hervieu-Léger, Jean-Guillaume Bart restores the original freshness of La Source. He creates a major story full of dance, poetry and virtuosity, enhanced by Christian Lacroix`s flamboyant costumes and an evocative and moving set by Eric Ruf.
The master at work.
Pictures are property of Swarovski. Photography: Anne Deniau / Opéra national de Paris
This truely is one of the greatest Haute Couture collections in history! Everything about it is perfect; it is impressive from the opulent shapes to the the terrific details. Each look is a firework and the theatrical show with the models strouting the like pharaos and posing like divas brings them to life.
Galliano`s play with proportions and volume is ingenious - earrings as large as shoes, skirts three times as wide as the waist and sleeves that touch the floor - THIS is Haute Couture; the artistic vision, the exaggeration, the perfect details and the perfect tailoring, all leading to a piece of pure beauty, born in the realm of fantasy, realized without the restrains of "practicability" or "wearability".
I hope the CEO`s of Dior are sitting in their archives crying that they let Galliano go. He IS the greatest couturier alive and there is NO replacing him! He must return to Dior. There is no other way.
What impresses you the most about this divine collection?
'Eclect Dissect' was McQueen`s second collection for Givenchy.
It was shown in Paris Medical School in july 1997.
For this show McQueen`s art director Simon Costin imagined a fictional surgeon and collector who travelled the world collecting exotic objects and women, whom he took apart and reassembled in this laboratory.
The runway show staged the return of these murdered women who come back to haunt the living.
The models embodied their ghosts, dressed in the exotic garments collected by their murderer on his foreign journeys.
Scottish tartan, Spanish lace, kimonos, Burmese necklaces and eastern folk dresses decorated with feathers and stuffed animals merge to outfits with a morbid aura.
The analogy between the designer and the surgeon is obvious.
McQueen acts like a surgeon himself here, dissecting the traditional clothes and reassembling them.
The japanese Obi, for example, becomes a corset and the Kimono becomes a tight skirt.
McQueen`s reassemblage didn`t make the women seem like victims but as vengeful ghosts.
He always wanted to empower women with his fashion and I think he succeeds with this collection.
The mix of cultures is extended beyond fashion; the show also makes references to his own, british, culture (in the 19th century): the dissecting-reference to Jack the Ripper (who also influenced his graduation collection) and the 'women returning from the dead' motif from the Gothic Novel.
I LOVE this collection! It`s like an "early version" of 'Widows of Culloden' with an additional exotic touch. Not only is the tartan the same as in McQueen`s fall 2006 collection, the opening music of Givenchy was also played in his show!
McQueen is the only designer EVER to mix elements of Scotland, Spain and Asia - and it works! I love how the models act like victorian ladies, the Princess Leah hair and the Burka with the bird-cage on top! McQueen`s fantasy and courage to put traditional items into new contexts and mix cultures & times will be unrivalled for 100 years at least.
What is your favourite thing about this collection?
This is Alexander McQueen`s debut collection for Givenchy, succeeding John Galliano.
It is inspired by greek antiquity and the collection is like a vision of his future work (for his own label). There so many familiar elements, which I will point out for you below.
Left: corset with ornaments as seen in Alexander McQueen F/W 07/08. Right: asymmetric one-shoulder top as seen in S/S 1998 and S/S 08.
Left: chiffon dress as seen in S/S 1998 and F/W 05.
Left: horns as seen in Alexander McQueen F/W 97/98. Right: skirt made of "fabrics-strings" as seen in F/W 03/04, body-armour as seen in F/W 00/01, F/W 07/08 and S/S 99.
Left: wings headpiece as seen in F/W 06.
Left: feather / wings cleavage as seen in S/S 08.
High stand-up collar as seen in S/S 03 and F/W 07.
"Capeish"-back as seen in F/W 00/01, S/S 07 and S/S 09.
Left: Hitchcock hair & 60s as seen in F/W 05. Right: Corset over clothes as seen in S/S 08.
Vines of flowers as seen in S/S 01 and S/S 07.
Left: cape as seen in F/W 00/01. Right: high-waist pants as seen in S/S 01.
Right: poity shoulders as seen in F/W 97/98 and S/S 08.
Classic costumes as seen in S/S 98, F/W 06/07 and S/S 07.
