Prada for Francesco Vezzoli & David Hallberg

Fabio Zambernardi, Prada and Miu Miu Design Director, designed David Hallberg’s costume, the principal dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, in occasion of the performance Fortuna Desperata by Francesco Vezzoli .

This event opened Performa 15 in New York, on Sunday November 1st, 2015.

Francesco Vezzoli and David Hallberg explored the 15th Century Italian court dance.

Starting from a meticulous research, Fortuna Desperata presents the Renaissance dance in its earliest and purist form in the historic church of St. Bart .

Francesco Vezzoli says:

“The costume which Prada has made for David Hallberg is the perfect metaphor for his Fortuna Desperata performance. Its pseudo-renaissance style is philological, yet the materials are ultra-modernist. Like the dance steps that Hallberg will perform, his costume will seem like a futuristic version of a painting by Beato Angelico”.

Prada followed meticulous sewing and finishing processes in creating the costume. Classic fabrics, such as the main black natté woollen fabric or the pink duchesse of the lining, are matched with modernistic materials, such as ciré bonded with jersey for the prominent trims or metal mixed with stones, crystals and hand-folded fabrics for the embroidery.

In some parts, the fabric is bonded with crinoline, which was traditionally used for men’s coats, and with duchesse to hold the shape. Ciré is also used to cover cotton-weave cords that trim and edge the black blocks. Both the embroidery and the costume itself are made entirely by hand. Each part is meticulously assembled in accordance with fine-tailoring techniques, going beyond the limits set by the model’s three-dimensionality.

The inside and structure of the costume are just as important as the outside; raw edges are finished with special hand-sewn stitches, which are also a feature of the lining.

Performa Biennial
Photos by: Ale Chad Watterson, GettyImages