Léon Bakst (1866–1924) started his artistic career as a magazine illustrator, but it was during his collaborations with the great Russian ballet impressario Serge Diaghilev and the founding of the Ballets Russes that he achieved his greatest successes. As a costume designer for the famed ballet company, Bakst created exotic robes, tunics, harem pants, and other lavish costumes incorporating bold color schemes. This exciting collection, sure to delight colorists and theater fans of all ages, includes 30 of the Asian-inspired designs for which Bakst was famous, among them costumes from The Firebird, Cléopâtre, and Schéhérazade. Captions identify characters and the ballets for which they were designed. Copies of the original designs can be produced by following the artist’s own color schemes, shown on the covers; or, budding artists can select hues from their own palettes to bring these dazzling costumes vividly to life.

"A refreshing antidote to the contrived nature of much contemporary interior design, the textiles and decoration of Nathalie Farman-Farma have gained a devoted following among celebrity and socialite clients for their folkloric charm and romantic exuberance. Drawing on the enchantment of fairytales and a history of material culture spanning Persia, Central Asia and Russia, Farman-Farma employs traditional print-making techniques to create exquisitely detailed fabrics, which she uses to conjure interiors infused with warmth and natural charisma. Farman-Farma's townhouse and studio in London and her family homes in Connecticut and Lake Tahoe feature in this captivating volume, forming the backdrop for her Décors Barbares range of fabrics, as well as her vast collection of antique textiles, costumes and jewellery. Vogue has called Farman-Farma "the textile designer you need to know." Her clients include Lauren Santo Domingo, Tory Burch, and influential interior designer David Netto, who writes the foreword to this book"--

The Ballets Russes was unmistakably influential in its time, and its impact can still be seen in contemporary set and costume design, music, dance, choreography, and more--and with the 100th anniversary of its formation in 2009, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in today's wide-ranging arts scene.

"This book was published to coincide with the exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes 1909-1929 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 25 September 2010-9 January 2011"--Title page verso.

In the two decades between its debut performance and the death of impresario Sergei Diaghilev in 1929, the Ballets Russes was an unrivalled sensation in Paris and around the world. But while scholarly attention has often centered on the links between Diaghilev’s troupe and modernist art and music, there has been surprisingly little analysis of the Ballets’ role in the area of tastemaking and trendsetting. Ballets Russes Style addresses this gap, revealing the extent of the ensemble’s influence in arenas of high style—including fashion, interior design, advertising, and the decorative arts. In Ballets Russes Style, Mary E. Davis explores how the Ballets Russes performances were a laboratory for ambitious cultural experiments, often grounded in the aesthetic confrontation of Russian artists who traveled with the troupe from St. Petersburg—Bakst, Benois, and Stravinsky among them—and the Parisian avant-garde, including Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Satie, Debussy, and Ravel. She focuses on how the ensemble brought the stage and everyday life into direct contact, most noticeably in the world of fashion. The Ballets Russes and its audience played a key role in defining Paris style, which would echo in fashions throughout the century. Beautifully illustrated, and drawing on unpublished images and memorabilia, this book illuminates the ways in which the troupe’s innovations in dance, music, and design mirrored and invigorated contemporary culture.

This book highlights and showcases many of Adrian great costume and fashion designs from the 1920s through the 1950s. Not only are his timeless glamour gowns, period costumes, and amazing show-girl costumes shown from the movies, but also his impeccable suits and beautiful gowns from his private label. The ten years of Adrian Ltd. are summarized year-by-year, and his life with Janet Gaynor and his taste for decorating and art are described.