Fashion Distraction

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Alexandra Jacobs makes some good pointes (pun intended) when posing the question of whether or not designer-crafted costumes distract from ballet performances. "Subjected to twirls and lifts, Mr. Fairchild's hem fanned out and sometimes flopped to one side awkwardly, like a useless fin. His partner Tiler Peck's ombré tumble of black and white skirts floated enticingly, but her bodice, strapless, seemed encumbered by stiff overgrown petals at its base, fixing everything but her bared shoulders and arms in place." Regardless, they looked beautiful—albeit stationary—when our sister site toured the New York City Ballet's costume workshop last month. [NYT, Racked]