Maître des frocks Christian Lacroix returns to the operatic scene with his spectacular costume designs for Madama Butterfly at Hamburg Opera, combining a flamboyant palette with respect for classic Japanese forms.
In Lacroix's own words, Vincent Boussard's production subscribes to the "tradition of Italian opera, but also incorporates elements of contemporary theatre to be accessible to younger people."
Before founding his own couture house in Paris, the designer spent several years in Tokyo working for the Japanese royal dressmaker Jun Ashida. Asked why he loved designing for theatre, the designer replied "Because I don't like normal life. When I was younger, life began only when I was in a theatre. That was my element.I liked this world because it was larger than life, full of colour, full of music!"
By employing Lacroix, Hamburg Opera have gained not just gorgeous frocks, but also those all-important column inches in non-music areas. Something for other opera companies to think about?
