Chanel Designs Costumes for Hofesh Shechter’s New Ballet Red Carpet at the Paris Opera
Chanel has partnered with the Paris Opera to create the costumes for Red Carpet, a new full-length ballet by internationally renowned choreographer Hofesh Shechter. The work premiered at the Palais Garnier on June 10, following a special youth preview on June 7, and marks the latest chapter in Chanel’s ongoing support of the Opéra national de Paris as a Major Patron.
Commissioned specifically for the Paris Opera Ballet, Red Carpet brings Shechter’s visceral and dynamic choreography into a theatrical cabaret setting, complete with red velvet curtains, live music, and a charged atmosphere of dark glamour. Thirteen dancers—six women and seven men—inhabit a stage that shifts between festive spectacle and physical intensity, accompanied by a four-piece band.
Designed in collaboration with the Paris Opera’s ateliers, the Chanel costumes reflect the dual spirit of elegance and movement. Drawing inspiration from eveningwear, the looks include tuxedos, cocktail jackets, long lamé and sequined dresses, pink bouclé tailoring, and dramatic accessories such as camellias, gloves, and statement earrings. As the ballet progresses, the dancers shed these embellished silhouettes to reveal minimal undergarments designed to move like second skins, symbolizing emotional and physical release.
The project highlights the maison’s deep commitment to artistic innovation and contemporary performance. Red Carpet will run in Paris through July 14 before traveling to San Francisco and New York in the fall. A filmed version, produced by Floris Bernard and supported by the Orange Foundation, will be available on the Paris Opera’s streaming platform, POP.
For Chanel, Red Carpet continues a tradition of cultural patronage rooted in fashion’s power to shape narrative and emotion—on stage as much as on the runway.
Meta Description: Chanel collaborates with choreographer Hofesh Shechter to create custom costumes for Red Carpet, a new contemporary ballet debuting at the Paris Opera, blending couture craftsmanship with powerful stage performance.
