Paris Opéra Ballet's Dorothée Gilbert on Working With Balmain and the Warm-Up Wear She's Never in the Studio Without

November 30, 2017

Dorothée Gilbert
doesn’t subscribe to a single sartorial look. “I love to wear a beautiful dress or something very sophisticated for a night out or a party after a show,” the Paris Opéra Ballet étoile explains during a tour to New York City. “But for a casual day, I have more of a boyish style, like jeans with a beautiful jacket.” Gilbert likes to pair online finds with pieces she collects while traveling or shopping at Parisian vintage stores.

She even finds inspiration from designers that she works with through POB, like Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, who created costumes this past spring for Sébastien Bertaud’s new work, Renaissance. “We wore these beautiful jackets with diamonds and pearls for the ballet,” Gilbert says. “But I also love Olivier’s everyday designs.”

Gilbert’s twist on classic style translates to her studio look as well, where she adds fun warm-ups to her traditional rehearsal wear. “I prefer leotards—or tunics, as we call them in French—because they’re easier for partnering,” she says. Another staple? Her black knit pants with a multicolored print down the right leg. “I always wear them before a performance, especially on tour.”

Photo by Kyle Froman

The Details—Street

Balmain dress:
“I really like Olivier [Rousteing] a lot, and I think he is a very talented designer,” Gilbert says of his Grecian-style white gown with cinched waist and lion-embossed gold buttons. “I have another dress from him, and a green, one-sleeved jumpsuit, too.”

No Name sneakers:
“I like something comfortable like these sneakers. After wearing pointe shoes all day, I like to give my feet a rest.”

Furla bag:
Gilbert’s white leather crossbody bag, with its silver hardware and perforated detailing, houses all of her essentials.

Rouge Dior Lipstick 999:
The classic red color with its on-trend matte finish is Gilbert’s current go-to.

Photo by Kyle Froman

The Details—Studio


Keto leotard:
Gilbert sticks to leotards from Repetto and Australian brand Keto. “I love Keto because they have very original designs and they also have leggings in beautiful colors.”

Warm-up pants:
Her warm-ups were designed just for her by retired POB dancer Michaël Denard. “I said to him, ‘Please do it with lots of colors’,” she says of the rainbow leg and cozy wool material.

Pointe shoes:
Gilbert’s custom- made pointe shoes come courtesy of Freed of London.