Three one-off couture pieces merge art, fashion and ballet – with profits going to the RNZB.
Hot off the highly successful season of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Home, Land & Sea, acclaimed New Zealand fashion designer Rory William Docherty is translating the magic of the stage into a rare opportunity for collectors. Docherty, who created the breath-taking costumes for choreographer Shaun James Kelly’s world-premiere ballet Chrysalis, has designed three bespoke silk organza coats inspired by the production.
Each coat is a one-of-a-kind work of art, crafted by the RNZB’s renowned costume department, and is now available exclusively through Docherty’s website. Each bespoke piece is priced at $4495. In a generous gesture of support for the arts, the designer is donating the profits of the sale price to the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
The idea was born from a painting Docherty created specifically for Chrysalis – originally intended only for the leotards that form the final, transformative layer in the ballet’s story.
“On seeing the print in large scale on fabric, and the stunning translucent organza coats we’d made for stage, I thought – what if the coats were also in the print? It felt like a beautiful summation of the piece and our collaboration,” says Docherty.
While the stage versions were designed for the demands of athletic performance and durability, these limited-edition coats are made in pure silk organza with couture finishing – cut by hand, French-seamed throughout and treated as individual canvases where brushstrokes dance across the fabric.
“I believe in creating pieces that inspire and uplift the wearer – works that will be cherished for a lifetime,” Docherty adds. “These coats are original art, fashion and ballet history, plus they have a philanthropic feel-good factor.”
Only three exist. Each is unique. All are certain to appeal to fashion collectors, art lovers and ballet enthusiasts alike.
The Rory William Docherty x Royal New Zealand Ballet bespoke coats are available now at Rorywilliamdocherty.com
ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #loveponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay @followers #followers @everyone #everyone #waitematalocalboard @highlight
