Last night, Sarah Jessica Parker captivated attendees at the New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala, entering in a stunning ensemble resembling a black angel adorned with large wings. “This is from Iris, and it’s incredibly easy to wear,” Parker shared with Vogue at the illustrious event held at Lincoln Center. “These wings are lightweight. It feels so comfortable to wear.”
The “Iris” she referred to is Iris van Herpen, a renowned designer known for her groundbreaking approach to technology in haute couture. Van Herpen created striking new costumes for choreographer Jamar Roberts’s original ballet Foreseeable Future, which premiered at the 13th annual Fall Fashion Gala—a night that beautifully intertwines ballet with high fashion, celebrating creative expression.
“Every year, I aspire to wear a piece from both the designer and the choreographer, and Iris shared images of the gown I’m wearing,” Parker noted. “The visual captivated me as the most thrilling choice, and I feel incredibly lucky to sport it. She said this was the one she hoped I’d select.” Van Herpen also styled several other notable guests, including Helena Christensen, Julia Fox, and Nicole Ari Parker.
Since its inception in 2012, the Fall Fashion Gala has generated over $33 million to support the NYC Ballet’s mission to maintain its repertoire, commission new works, and enhance ballet accessibility through educational programs and online initiatives. Founded by Parker, a longtime member of the NYCB board, the gala has showcased costumes from more than 30 fashion designers, all crafted in-house at the New York City Ballet Costume Shop under Marc Happel’s leadership. “I approached Marc, and he’d never tailored for me before,” Parker recounted. “But after just one fitting—literally eight minutes—it was complete. He’s incredible.”
Parker was one of the earliest arrivals at the David H. Koch Theater. With her husband, Matthew Broderick, at her side, she elegantly displayed her unique honeycomb-like gown. A sheer black net flowed into an elongated train, while the wings fan out dramatically from her shoulders. “The wings are designed to extend the silhouette, creating a morphing effect,” van Herpen explained to Vogue. “That’s how I approached her gown and all the costumes used in the performance—creating an aura around the wearer. The gown’s design resembles scales; it brings to mind fish beneath the surface.”
Van Herpen shared that crafting Parker’s look required four months, utilizing an ultra-light “air fabric” sourced from Japan. “It’s the lightest fabric on Earth. One thread is five times thinner than a human hair,” the Dutch designer elaborated. “The bodice employs what I term the honeycomb technique—it features three-dimensional stitching, adding depth and fluidity to movement.”
Foreseeable Future represents van Herpen’s second showcase at the Fall Fashion Gala, with her designs previously appearing in Benjamin Millepied’s 2013 ballet Neverwhere. “She embodies it beautifully,” van Herpen remarked of Parker, smiling. “She truly is like a black angel.”
The gala commenced with Gianna Reisen’s Composer’s Holiday, a 2017 original piece that debuted when Reisen was just 17, making her the youngest choreographer in NYCB history. The twelve-minute performance featured rapid footwork accompanied by Lukas Foss’s 1940 neo-classical composition, “Three American Pieces.” The audience gasped as dancers lifted and tossed one performer into the air, while costumes by the late Virgil Abloh of Off-White contrasted dark and light tones, forming a visually stunning display.
Next on the program was William Forsythe’s playful Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux (1992), set to an electronic score by his longtime collaborator Thom Willems. This piece showcased costumes designed by Gianni Versace and featured a pas de deux segment performed in matching yellow skirts and sheer mesh tops designed by Forsythe himself.
