Chanel to dress National Ballet dancers

The English National Ballet's principal dancers will don Chanel haute couture for a special production to celebrate the centenary of the influential troupe Ballet Russes.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the dance company, which was founded in France in 1909, brought together some of the 20th century's leading creatives, including Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso and Henri Mattise, who designed costumes and sets for the performances.

Chanel's creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, has designed a series of ensembles for The English National Ballet, including a winged tutu and a tulle dress studded with fabric camelias. Elena Glurdjidze, the senior principal dancer, will wear the outfits. "We always say that the look is 50 per cent of how you are going to dance, so it is very important to have a beautiful costume," she said.

The English National Ballet performs Ballets Russes at Sadler's Wells on June 16-20. A full feature on the production appears in the June issue of Harper's Bazaar, out this week.