When looking at the art of dance in terms of grooming, one genre in particular instantaneously springs to mind – ballet. Ballet has long been a reference point for designers. Ballet much like a collection narrates a story. The clothing, the make-up, the styling all act as a portal into the world in question. They mirror one another in their penchant for theatre and their emphasis on finely curated details. The link between designers and the spectacle of the the stage has become significantly closer in recent times from Walter Van Beirendonck extending his avant-garde hyper masculine aesthetic to the Royal Ballet of Flanders to The Royal Ballet descending down the runway at LFW for Pierson Lawlor SS12. John Galliano’s AW11/12 was an explicit ode to this dance form honing in on primus ballerinus Rudolf Nureyev. Ballet dancers such as Roberto Calle have fronted campaigns for Salvatore Ferragamo and Uniqlo. In 2010 the V&A and London College of Fashion staged a monumental homage to Ballets Russes which has been a design touchstone for designers spanning Yves Saint Laurent to Erdem.
Surveying the runways of recent seasons passed it is evident that Givenchy and Calvin Klein are two designers that favour a physique that embodies the ballet aesthetic. In build the Givenchy and Calvin Klein men possess the broad strong shoulders, the defined muscular torso and the docile boyish innocence that are synonymous with the male ballet dancer. Alexis Mabille’s SS12 leotard clad men and their gelled back hair also adhere to this look while Mugler’s AW11 masked male offered the perfect villain for a dramatic production. Thom Browne AW11 experimented with wigs and Vivienne Westwood SS12 welcomed dramatically slicked back and leaf embellished hair. The ballet look is one that embodies both an inner and physical strength.
The body is sculpted yet slender. Movement is fluid but possesses attitude. Hair is boyish and often androgynous but oozes masculinity. Considering fashion’s fascination with ballet I decided to speak to Claudia Stolze, Head of Wigs and Make-Up at the Royal Opera House to discuss the role grooming plays in ballet. How do wigs and make-up effect and act as a narrative in a ballet production? The use of make-up and hair styling can enhance the expression of the piece and works with the lighting, the set and the costumes to create a mood and a place in time. It can make a subtle or a bold statement, either gently enhancing the performers’ features or at times completely rendering them unrecognisable. Make-up helps the performer to transform themselves into anything, or anybody, they need to ‘become’.
What are some of the more directional and experimental productions in terms of men’s hair and make-up?
The Step Sisters in Ashton’s Cinderella or the Widow Simone in his La Fille mal gardée. Male cross-dressing in classical ballets or in opera for that matter is not as rare as one might think. The make-up and wigs often aim to enhance a sense of the grotesque frequently with a comical and sometimes a sinister effect. Can you give us a little insight into the wig making process? Dexterity, neatness, precision and an almost Zen-like sense of patience are a prerequisite. To start we take a head shape of the artist’s head and a hair sample for reference. This head shape gets transferred onto a postiche or a wooden block which we work from. The hair gets knotted into the net with a minuscule hook, one hair at a time in patterns to recreate growing directions such as crown partings, cow’s licks etc. We mainly use European hair of varying lengths, always curled and coloured to our specification. For hair lines we sometimes use angora hair to soften the grading and for periods like Rococo we use a mix of belly yak and human hair to give those often imposingly large wigs the substance and bulk they need. For legal wigs we use horsehair, which is the traditional material and is very hard to process.
Designers often reference ballet in their collections, is there any fashion designer you would love to collaborate with on a production?
I had the pleasure to work with Gianni Versace on a ballet production choreographed by Rudra Béjart with dancer Sylvie Guillem. I found his sense of glamour and grandeur quite breathtaking and beguiling. It worked very well in the context of that particular production. I really liked Alexander McQueen’s style and I can imagine a fusion of dance with his particular sense of style would have worked wonderfully.
For someone interested in experimenting with ballet inspired looks at home what products for men would you recommend?
A good mascara, possibly a dark eye-shadow, a silicon eyeliner (because it does not smudge), a foundation with good coverage, powder rouge ,compact powder and lip stain. The Royal Opera House runs a number of workshops in make-up and wig dressing techniques.
Find out about these events by clicking here www.roh.org.uk
