Reiss and Royal Ballet Collaborate on a 60-piece Collection

LONDON — In many ways, the ballet world runs parallel to the fashion runways.

The Royal Ballet’s principal dancers have become friends of fashion houses, such as Francesca Hayward for Bottega Veneta when Daniel Lee was creative director; Reece Clarke who is a constant at Lee’s Burberry shows and William Bracewell who has been embraced by Dunhill.

Now the Royal Ballet is joining in on the fun with a collaboration with Reiss, the British high street retailer.

The collection is made up of 60 pieces of easy and airy pieces across womenswear, menswear and childrenswear that range from 20 to 348 pounds. 

As expected, there will be tulle skirts, corsetry lacing and boning, satin ballet shoe-inspired ribbon details and jersey pieces, as well as slouchy tailoring and athleisure.

“We approached this collaboration with the individual dancer always in our mind first,” said Jamie O’Hare, Reiss’ womenswear design director, in an interview.

He met with Marianna Tsembenhoi, a first artist at the Royal Ballet who starred in the campaign collaboration with Francisco Serrano, a soloist at the dance company, and took note of Tsembenhoi’s daily life, from her rehearsals, training to the aftermath of a show.

“Marianna’s personal style is very relaxed, effortless and casual so this was an attitude that was important to reflect in the collection,” O’Hare said.

“We didn’t want to be too literal with this collaboration, but we also didn’t want to be too vague, imprecise or to miss the intended meaning that our Reiss customer didn’t understand. Yes, tutus and ballet ribbons you could say are literal; we needed some elements within this collection that were immediately identified,” he added.

O’Hare was welcomed into the costume department at the Royal Ballet and picked up on the details of the pieces such as the edges of each layer of tulle gently scalloped by hand so as not to cut the hands of the male dancers while lifting their partners. This was one of the details Reiss emulated in their Tillie dress.

The Lydia dress, which borrows the look of more contemporary pieces from the Royal Ballet, used the same hem circumference measurement as the company’s dresses.

The Ulyanna blouse took inspiration from one of the tunics that male performers were wearing in “Romeo and Juliet.” “On our visit to the ballet, the costume department was repairing the top and what looks like intricate lacing on the cuff, is actually elastic mimicking the lacing to give the male dancer speed in his quick changes,” O’Hare explained.

Reiss will also be donating 10 percent of the sales from the collection to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, which supports the Royal Ballet.

The Royal Ballet’s collaboration with the British brand signals a change at the dance company as they become more public facing. The dance company has been supported by French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels and has partnered with brands such as Roksanda and Erdem on special costumes. 

“The arts face a myriad of financial challenges today, and it is through meaningful commercial partnerships — like this compelling collaboration with Reiss — that we can secure vital support to continue presenting world-class ballet and opera. These partnerships offer more than financial investment; they help us reach new audiences, shift perceptions, and open doors to those who may be discovering the Royal Ballet and Opera for the first time,” said Sophie Wybrew-Bond, chief commercial officer of the Royal Ballet and Opera.

According to a 2024 report from Campaign for the Arts, the U.K. government is ranked as one of the lowest in terms of spending on culture.

The report further outlined that the Arts Council’s government funding decreased by 18 percent in England; 22 percent in Scotland; 25 percent in Wales and 66 percent in Northern Ireland.

Reiss’ collaboration with the Royal Ballet marks the brand’s first time working with an arts organization. Previously, the retailer has worked with McLaren F1 and Olympian Tom Daley.

“Opportunities to collaborate and partner with brands enables us to showcase our art form to new audiences whilst also providing a valuable income stream which, as a charity, enables us to continue delivering world-class performances,” said Kevin O’Hare, director of the Royal Ballet.

“Over the past year, they have undertaken multiple research visits to explore our archives, repertory, and the unique rhythm of life within the company. We have been so impressed by the care, attention to detail and respect that Reiss has shown throughout this incredible journey and naturally, would love to continue this artful collaboration,” he added.

Ballet is the word on the street in fashion.

At the New York City Ballet, Iris Van Herpen 3D printing, laser cutting and vaporous honeycomb structures will be on display at its fall fashion gala, where choreographer Jamar Roberts’ latest work will premiere, with music by Arca and costumes by the Dutch couturier.