The Vampire’s Wife x The Royal Ballet Has Us Longing to Watch a Ballet in a Ball Gown

The Vampire's Wife [1] and The Royal Ballet launched a new creative partnership that sees dancers Charlotte Tonkinson, Nadia Mullova-Barley, Mariko Sasaki, and Marianna Tsembenhoi bring new life to the brand's exquisite designs.

Founder and creative director Susie Cave closely collaborated with Kristen McNally, principal character artist and movement director at The Royal Ballet, to film and photograph the ballerinas in Cave's hero pieces. "I have had a deep fascination for The Royal Ballet since I was a child," said Cave in a press statement. "They are one of the world's great ballet companies. During lockdown, all COVID protocols followed, of course, I invited four dancers to the home of The Vampire's Wife to dance in my clothes. I watched these beautiful, eternally graceful women bringing my clothes to life, wondering 'Is this really happening?' It is something I have learned — when you do the things you truly love, miracles do happen!" Kristen McNally added that "seeing the exquisite craftsmanship of Susie's gowns up close and hearing the passion and inspiration behind the collections was truly inspiring. The collaboration gave us an opportunity to present the clothes in a new way. It was a lovely moment of connection between our two art forms."

Ahead, get a closer look at The Vampire's Wife x The Royal Ballet [2] photographed by Jacob John Harmer, and shop some of Cave's handpicked pieces for the partnership.