Swan Lake on the Catwalk

November 28, 2001

Exciting things are happening down under: To commemorate Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 60th anniversary, the company is teaming up with local fashion designer Tamsin Cooper to create a new ballet-inspired fashion line. Cooper’s collection, based on “Swan Lake” (which the RNZB will perform in July), will feature tutu-like skirts, jackets, coats and bags—in only black and white, of course. The items will be unveiled next month as part of New Zealand’s iD Dunedin Fashion Week. For the big event, RNZB dancers Katherine Grange and Hayley Donnison will dance in the designs on the catwalk. And this isn’t just any catwalk: 120-meters long and remarkably thin, it is a far cry from what these performers are used to! But Ethan Stiefel trusts his dancers and tells stuff.co.nz, “They’ll be basically bringing the ballet essence into a runway show. I think these two ladies are going to be absolutely stellar.”