Raising the Barre

The news this week that ballet dancer Tiler Peck is pairing with sportswear label Stateside for a capsule collection is a reminder of the handful of ballet dancers who have entered into merchandise collaborations over the past few years. Now is an ideal time, as ballet-inspired fashion, sometimes dubbed “balletcore,” has been on trend since spring of this year. The look encompasses apparel and accessories from ballet flats and wrap sweaters to leotards and tulle skirts.

Some examples of celebrity collaborations from the world of ballet, both inside and outside the fashion space:

• Peck’s collaboration with Stateside includes four items (fleece sweat pants, raglan-sleeve sweatshirt, romper, and twist top) that will launch in December in stores such as The Red Balloon and Anthropologie, as well as on Stateside’s e-commerce site. Peck, who is a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, also has a dancewear line with Body Wrappers. More capsules are expected in the future as part of the Stateside partnership.

• Daniela Bell was in the ballet for a decade, including owning her own dance company in her native Mexico, before launching Daniela Bell Beauty in Texas. She operates a brow studio and has become a social media influencer. One of her newest products is Daniela Lashes, a 23-SKU assortment of lashes made from mink. In August she launched a partnership with Inglot for an inclusive eye shadow palette of four earth-tone colors under the name Sedona.

• Erica Raver, a former apprentice with the Rochester City Ballet who retired in January 2020 due to a knee injury, launched Tulle Box this spring. A subscription service (also available as a one-off) for products catering to dancers, Tulle Box includes items such as energy bars, sweats, leotards, exercise and recovery equipment, hydrating face masks, and the like. Raver manages this business herself rather than with a partner, sourcing the products from outside brands.

• Francesca Hayward partnered in 2018 with Lululemon for the Lululemon Royal Ballet Collection. Hayward is a principal dancer with the London Royal Ballet. The limited-edition capsule included tights, a bra, a jacket, and a hoodie.

• Misty Copeland, principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, is one of the best-known current stars of the ballet and has been involved in a number of collaborations. They have included a partnership with Under Armour that ended in 2019, which encompassed signature collections as well as brand ambassador duties, and endorsement agreements with Breitling watches and LGS Signature wine coolers. She has also worked with Stuart Weitzman, Estée Lauder, and Mattel (on a signature Barbie).

Dancers specializing in other forms of the art, aside from ballet, have also entered into collaborations through the years, thanks in large part to the popularity of dance competition shows on television. Maddie Ziegler has partnered with Morphe and Fabletics. Cheryl Burke has masks with Bailey Blue and has sold an apparel line on QVC. Julianne Hough had a footwear collection with Sole Society almost a decade ago and more recently has focused on wellness, working with Thorne on supplements; investing in Therabody, a deep-muscle massage treatment; and launching her own KINRGY fitness platform. Now that ballet has caught the eye of the fashion world, will more ballet dancers add their names to this list?

A heads-up: We will not be posting this coming Monday, September 6, due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. We will be back to our normal twice weekly schedule on Thursday, September 9.