Last night, the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center played host to a dazzling night of art and design at the New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala. The evening highlighted a trio of ballets, all choreographed by women, and featured exquisite costumes by some of fashion’s most talented designers. Gilles Mendel, of House of Gilles, played a central role in the evening, meticulously adjusting his designs for both the red carpet and the stage.
Mendel’s creations were seen on principal dancer Tiler Peck, who wore a flowing powdery blue strapless dress and capelet, and content creator Mary Leest, whose gown was tailored to perfection by the designer himself. But his most significant contribution was designing costumes for Caili Quan’s Beneath the Tides. Mendel described the experience as akin to nurturing a newborn. “It’s like a baby! You work on something for nine months and then it’s suddenly arrived,” he shared after the premiere, as Jonathan Stafford, NYCB’s artistic director, praised the costumes as “rapturous.”
The gala began with a cocktail hour at Lincoln Center Plaza, where Sarah Jessica Parker, a key architect of the Fashion Gala since its inception, held court in a rose-covered silver gown by Oscar de la Renta. She was joined by her And Just Like That co-stars Nicole Ari Parker and Sarita Choudhury, along with other stylish guests like Nicky Hilton Rothschild in a black Oscar de la Renta creation, Brooke Shields, Laverne Cox, and more.
Wendy Whelan, associate artistic director of NYCB, introduced the evening’s performances by highlighting the historic significance of the all-female choreographer lineup. “Balanchine famously said, ‘Ballet is woman,’ and tonight we are excited to highlight women as the creative visionaries,” she said. The evening featured ballets from Gianna Reisen, Caili Quan, and Tiler Peck, each bringing a contemporary flair to classical ballet.
Reisen’s ballet, set to Philip Glass’s music, featured costumes by Marc Happel and was performed by dancers who originated the roles as students at the School of American Ballet. Following that, Quan’s Beneath the Tides premiered with Mendel’s stunning costumes—waist-cinching corsets for the men and flowing, ethereal dresses for the women, transitioning from white to gray on stage. “I’m floating a little bit,” Quan shared, reflecting on her experience watching her work with Mendel by her side.
Tiler Peck dazzled in Quan’s piece with her signature musicality before quickly changing into a House of Gilles gown to watch her own ballet, Concerto for Two Pianos, which closed the gala. Featuring costumes by Zac Posen, Peck’s piece starred rising company talent Mira Nadon and Peck’s fiancé, Roman Mejia. “It was so amazing to get to close the gala. I never thought my piece would get to do that!” Peck said.
After the performance, the evening continued with a dinner and a lively dance party in the theater’s atrium, which was transformed into a romantic, autumnal scene reminiscent of Dutch flower paintings. As guests sipped coffee and indulged in desserts, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” set the tone for the festivities, keeping the energy high as the celebration continued into the night.
