Who would have thought it — Balletcore became the silly little TikTok trend that could.
The rate at which ribbons, endless tulle, bows and leg warmers have swept up the fashion set since Miu Miu sent ballet pumps onto the runway in March 2022 really has been startling. Everywhere you scroll, someone Gen Z looks like they’ve just stepped off the main stage of the Royal Ballet, or are on their way to a Barre class.
Unlike it’s sibling -cores (normcore, blokecore, clowncore, goblincore — you name it) there are plenty of balletic references that look great (thank you, no thank you, fluro-Barbiecore pink). Top spot undoubtedly goes to the ballet flat, which have enjoyed a triumphant summer. Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss might well have walked the path in the Noughties, but there's hardly a female A-lister that avoided picking up a pair this year.
Jennifer Lawrence has been a commited flagbearer of the trend, regularly championing two varieties of It-pairs; The Row’s Ozzy slippers, a hefty £720, ssense.com and Alaïa’s staple fishnet flats, £580, maison-alaia.com. Meanwhile, inner pump set counts models (Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber), actors (Chloë Sevigny, Tracee Ellis Ross and Katie Holmes) as well as singers (JLo, Ariana Grande and Rochelle Humes). Chanel’s two-tone ballet flats — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Alexa Chung's shared go-to's — continue to be feverishly hunted by socialites and influencers alike, while translucent styles by Dear Frances have emerged as the next evolution.
But, its not all take take take, something AllSaints are keen to say with a Royal Ballet partnership this winter. Before you ask, no — they’re not kitting on stage ballerinas out in leathers, nor are they releasing pointe-ready ballet pumps (though both would be chic). Instead they’ve invited four Royal Ballet dancers, Bomin Kim, Viola Pantuso, Brayden Gallucci and Joonhyuk Jun to their East London Studio to select their six favourite pieces from their recent collection.
The resulting 24-piece edit is titled “The Stars Are Out”, and will feature direct-to-the-source, dancer-approved pieces. The brand is also releasing a co-designed, limited-edition T-shirt and hoodie, with 10 per cent of the proceeds being donated to The Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, to support The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.
“This is the first collaboration of its kind for AllSaints and we are thrilled to be working with such a prestigious company and helping raise money to nurture, train and educate young and upcoming artists,” says Catherine Jobling Scorey, the COO of AllSaints. “To be a ballet dancer you have to have such strength and we are a strong brand and to me there is nothing cooler than a classic tutu dressed with a cool leather biker jacket! The collection is full of elevated evening pieces, plenty of sequins, jewels and embellishment that all beautifully capture the star like qualities of the dancers.”
It bolsters Balletcore's chances of survival this winter; of course, any dainty, paper thin shoes have no hope of working in December. Ballet-approved biker jackets, though? That could put a spring in some steps.
The AllSaints x The Royal Ballet collection launches this Friday at www.allsaints.com
