NIJINSKY TUNIC DRESS, 2012
Silks / Costume
The Nijinsky is a tunic-dress with high side slits that are measured to provide total range of motion for the leg. Inspired by the tunics worn by the dancers in Nijinsky's "Afternoon of a Faun"; many Nijinsky photos picture him wearing loose deep V tunics and blouses, as well as his dancers. Asymmetric front and back with double layers of silk that accentuate the body in motion. Can be worn loose or sashed as pictured. Hidden pockets nestle in the inner layer of the dress. Inside tie at empire waist to create a more fitted look. V-neck in front and a slightly deeper V in back frames the scapulae, framing these sections of the body. The tri-color geometry in silk is flowy, yet structured enough to highlight the intense beauty of the lines of the human body in motion.
This first trio of studio garment designs are a dance of geometric forms: triangles, rectangles, squares. Perfect structured shapes are juxtaposed with the flow and movement of silk on the body. Inspired by Ballets Russes costumes, with a rigidity and severity of line and an expressiveness of flow and color. The bold statement colors paired with neutral tones accentuate the shapes of the garment.
Created and refined over the course of two years of research on color, proportions, measurements for the body in motion, these are the foundational lines for the studio’s garments, showing the formal relationships between costume & the body in space.
Photographs by Barbara Anastacio
