A couple of quotes from an article, by Daniela Petroff of the AP, on Armani's latest:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Based on the ballerina, who Armani sees as the ``essence of elegance,'' the show featured delicate evening wear with small sheer bodices and asymmetrical flounced tutu skirts, more often than not accessorized by a beautifully embroidered shawl.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Even the day wear was influenced by the ballerina theme, with flounced silk pants appearing under a straight jacket with braided loop fastenings. Shoes, either flat or with a small heel, are fastened like a ballet shoe.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010305/en/italy_fashion_4.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

Now if the ballet dancer could just afford Armani's clothes.........<P><BR>As I remember reading about it - fashion, both clothes and household design, was influenced for many, many years by the Diagelev company. The designs for the stage sets, drop curtains, costumes, etc., really swept the fashion world of the time.

<P><BR>Azlan, which ballet did you say these oufits were from?

I think Stuart wants to go see that ballet..........

And now, for the latest influences on fashion by the ballet world,<P>- Instead of the pale, powdered look complemented by berry-stained lips and kohl-lined eyes, the models were noted to exude an allover beet red flush heretofore reserved for dancers completing their work across the diagonal, set off by vestiges of Chapstick and sunscreen.<P>- A salient feature of the models' attire were the runs and tears in the legwear complete with dark spots adjacent to each knee, suggestive of repeated passe positions, along with an interesting circle of sweat near the sternum of each outfit<P>- Especially notable was the cut-out footwear, enabling the models to flaunt those missing toenails, enviable callouses, protruding bunions, and colorful blisters.<P>- This was a show for all the senses, as the runway exuded a powerful scent of Tiger Balm, Heet, and Ben-Gay.<P>- And the word for hair this year is matted, matted, matted! Tres chic!

And don't forget the permanent indentations around the ankles where the pointe shoe ribbons cross and tie. (yes, I still have those)<P>And then there are the old tights where the crotch has been cut out and the feet cut off, and pulled over the head to make a top under a leotard.<P>And the old sweater with the arms cut off to use as leg warmers.<P>And toes cut out of old socks to pull over the pointe shoes to keep the insteps warm. <P>Old shawl wrapped around the hips to get them warm and moving, too. <P>And the fashionable light dark green metallic colored leotard - oh wait - that USED to be a black leotard........

Stuart, the outfits are from a yet to be named ballet commissioned by a renegade unit within criticaldance.com. It's the same unit that seems to be receiving funding via sales of a certain "glowing" merchandise.

Oh my dears!! we have to accessorize!!<P>The ubiquitous dance bag!! The holder of all things ESSENTIAL to the dancer's life and well being.<P>It contains everything she ever couldn't find and declared lost. <P>An entire strip mall reposes in there - a deli, a lingerie dept., the contents of a medicine cabinet, the products from shelves and shelves of foot care products, every sweater that should have been thrown out, towels from a "white sale" of 20 years ago.<P>A shoe collection to make Imelda Marcos salivate, resides in splendor in that bag. A collection of a lifetime of hand-me-downs and hand-me-ups, that would humble the average church rummage sale. All of which are essential to the dancer's very being - her essence is in that bag. <P>No, my friends, this is not a "bag" - it is a dancer's dance bag - and goes well with that once black, now metallic green leotard.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Based on the ballerina, who Armani sees as the ``essence of elegance,''<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Obviously, Armani has never seen stagehands at the end of a 12-hour call, sitting on the loading dock drinking beer.<P>Now <I>that's</I> the essence of elegance!

might make a case for a gentleman's attire being adorned by blood coming from being cut by a jewel on a ballerina's costume!

Jeff said:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Obviously, Armani has never seen stagehands at the end of a 12-hour call, sitting on the loading dock drinking beer.<P>Now <I>that's</I> the essence of elegance!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I can picture them now with their Armani suits, shades and Gucci tool bags.

......and laptops checking into the critical-dance Backstage Forum.........

I always wondered when Calvin Klein would finally get around to underwriting a company's season (or at the very least a ballet); he's been ripping off (or should we say "been inspired" by dancer's daily wear for years...

Ah, but have you seen dancerwear? There is a full range of fashions now; shopping for a leotard is no longer a simple exercise in picking out a size.

It's not just the leotards - everything a dancer wears is a fashion statement. You know all those rags we put on for class? That's no accident, those are very carefully chosen - and beloved - without which we simply couldn't dance.....<P>I was in the dressing room one day and there was a new adult student in there. She took out of a shopping bag a brand new leotard, tights, leg warmers - the works. And then she was sat there very carefully ripping it all up. I asked her, quite horrified, (considering the price of some of this stuff) what she was doing? She said she wanted to look authentic........