Leon Bakst achieved great artistic renown for his exotic, sensuous design style of the early (pre war) Ballet Russes (Healy & Lloyd 1990). Parisian audiences embraced the tales of passion and drama set in ‘the Orient’. The acceptance of such themes reverberated across into mainstream aspects of Paris life including; fashion, interior design, jewellery design, perfume selections and the wider world of art. (NGA, 1998)
Designing for Scheherazade, Leon Bakst used breathtaking colour combinations that some called barbaric. Amalgamations of emerald green with sapphire blue and powerful orange with rose red, would become an aesthetic he became known for. The term ‘Bakstian’ became an adjective of the time to reflect such colour combinations. (Ibid)
The costume and design above is for the Chief Eunuch from Scheherazade. Its’ deep orange, silk harem pants are decorated with yellow silk horizontal bands. The turban was made from silk but was subsequently refurbished with red artificial silk. The jeweled embellishment on its front is studded with green glass gems and blue feathers cascade down the right side. White silk hearts which have been hand painted with a blue and red Persian design have been appliquéd to the red artificial silk over-skirt.
This costume for a dancing girl in Scheherazade uses some of Bakst’s softer colour choices. According to Healy and Lloyd ..”the bodice is appliquéd with bright pink and green ribbon, outlined with gold gelatin seashell sequins and gold glass beads, and simulates a bolero top. The midriff section is made from pale pink silk chiffon simulating flesh, and across the waist is a belt of gold cord. The hip section is finished with a band of gold and green cord. The pants of pink rayon-acetate are hand painted with a random pattern of maroon diamonds and gold spots. The trousers are gathered into gold lame cuffs.” (Healy & Lloyd, 1990, p. 22)
The detail in workmanship on the embellishments of the Shah Zeman costume is exquisite! The frock-coat is of a green brocade with a gold metallic palmette design (an ornament of radiating petals like a palm leaf). It features a collar and hem that are edged in appliqués of gold metallic and purple silk triangles. The Turkish style trousers of purple silk are beautifully embroidered with gold braid. This gold braid is also used to create further detail on the frock-coat.
For the Ballet Russes production of Le Dieu bleu (The Blue God) Bakst was encouraged by Diaghilev to excel himself, to produce his most fantastic, his most Oriental set and costumes (NGA, 1998). I can just imagine the high expectations of Diaghilev after the huge success of Scheherazade. And Bakst obviously didn’t disappoint! He produced sumptuously embellished costumes from a fantasy land in the Far East.
Healy and Lloyd (1990) provide a detailed description of The Blue God costume: The bodice of pale yellow watered silk is dominated by an inset of musk pink satin, which is embroidered in green, yellow and black and features a closed lotus flower (the symbol of the god Krishna). This is highlighted with rays of gold thread and small gold metal studs. The back of the bodice is appliquéd with fine stripes of green ribbon speckled with green glass beads. The short sleeves of blue satin are banded with white silk. The stiffened circular skirt of the costume is richly decorated with a printed floral silk in blues and white and is embroidered with large arabesques in pink, yellow and white. The term arabesque, as well as being a common term in ballet, is also used to describe an ornamental design with intertwined flowing lines, as in this example. The broad hem band of pale yellow, watered silk is trimmed with embroidered, green triangles and two rows of white mother of pearl and pink studs. Over the central panel of the skirt are appliquéd two sash ends of yellow silk. Which are outlined with a border of white silk and decorated with embroidered diamonds and triangles in blue and gold.
Lessons from Baksts’ Exotic Ballet Russes Costumes
As designers and costume makers what can we learn from these Ballet Russes costumes? To me, the beauty of these costumes is in the detail! The hand painting, corded embroidery, appliqués, jewels, studs, shells, banding and binding all help to create a stimulation of the senses and extraordinary, unique costumes.
Perhaps we should all consider the use of non-traditional colour combinations, to think outside the square and combine colours or fabrics and trims that you wouldn’t normally think of putting together?
How to create a simple yet effective appliqué on a costume:
- I start by drawing my appliqué shape on a piece of paper to make a pattern or template.
- Decide which fabrics will be used for which pieces. If your design has multiple pieces you may like to label them on the pattern as I have done in this example.
- Cut a piece of fashion fabric big enough to fit all appliqué shapes. Then cut out a corresponding piece of vliesofix (fusible backing) and iron to the back of your fashion fabric.
- Using the pattern you drew earlier, cut out your appliqué shapes. Carefully peel off the paper backing one piece at a time.
- Iron the appliqué pieces into position on your costume. Use your pattern as a template if it is a complicated design that needs careful placement.
- Stitch around the edges of the appliqué using a satin stitch (a zig zag with a very short stitch length). This can be done in a contrasting or matching colour thread depending on the result required.
The appliqués can be layered as I have done in this example to add interest and complexity to the design. The pictured appliqué examples above are from an Eastern Princess costume I constructed from a Max Hurley original design.
Next post we will look at costumes from Fairytales of the Ballet Russes.
References:
Healy. R & Lloyd. M (1990) From Studio to Stage. Canberra: Publications Department, Australian National Gallery.
Ingles, E. (2000) Bakst The art of Theatre and Dance. London: Parkstone Press Limited
National Gallery of Australia. (2011). Ballet Russes The Art of Costume. Retrieved from National Gallery of Australia Website: http://nga.gov.au/exhibition/balletsrusses/Default.cfm?IRN=202245&BioArtistIRN=19455&MnuID=3&GalID=5&ViewID=2
National Gallery of Australia. (1998) From Russia With Love. Canberra: Publications Department, National Gallery of Australia
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