Ballets Russes | Salome Costume | Fashion Unpicked | V&A

This extraordinary costume was designed by Serge Sudeikin for prima ballerina Tamara Karsavina for the 1913 ballet ’La Tragédie de Salomé’, performed by Serge Diaghilev’s iconic Ballets Russes. Inspired by the explicit illustrations created by Aubrey Beardsley for Oscar Wilde’s play ’Salome’, this costume was considered highly risqué for the stage at the time – the mesh panel in the bodice gave the illusion of Karsavina being bare-breasted with orange stars covering her nipples. The body-hugging design featured short culottes and bare legs and her right leg featured painted roses on the thigh and calf to further emphasise this. Karsavina’s intoxicating performance as Salome was bold and expressive and the unconventional, striking costume (described in a review of the production by the Daily Telegraph as ’weird’) provided inspiration for fashion designers and cartoonists. Join Theatre & performance Curator, Jane Pritchard, as she explores the costume in detail and discusses the lasting impact of the Ballets Russes, Tamara Karsavina and the role of Salome. Discover more powerful divas from the worlds of opera, dance, music hall, pop and theatre in our exhibition, DIVA: Find out more about the Ballets Russes: Explore more costumes from the V&A’s collections: