The Dallas Opera Presents Costume Exhibit
The Dallas Opera and NorthPark Center are teaming up to present rarely-exhibited historic costumes from the private collection of The Dallas Opera Wardrobe Department.
The exhibit, entitled ‘The Fabric of Opera’ will be on view from Sept. 12 to Nov. 18 near the CH Carolina Herrera boutique on Level One at NorthPark Center. It will display 22 spectacular costumes created for The Dallas Opera by some of the finest talents in the world and showcase a wide variety of historical periods and designs worn by some of the greatest opera artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Nancy Nasher, David Haemisegger, and the NorthPark Center worked closely with The Dallas Opera to develop an exhibit the hope will peak interest in the art form among the millions of people who visit NorthPark each year, said Ian Derrer, The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO.
The majority of these magnificent, hand-detailed costume designs are the creations of the late Peter J. Hall, who served as The Dallas Opera’s resident costume designer for more than four decades.
Hall was engaged by many of the most important opera houses in the world and dressed many stars in the entertainment field as well, with a legendary client list that included David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mick Jagger.
‘The Fabric of Opera’ will consist of costumes created for characters from all walks of life; from enslaved captives to matadors to royalty. Spanning historical periods from Ancient Egypt to the Victorian Era, nearly two dozen magnificent costumes have been curated by Dallas Opera prop, set, and costume designer Tommy Bourgeois, who worked alongside Peter J. Hall for decades. Other renowned costume designers represented in the NorthPark Center exhibit include Constance Hoffman and Allen Charles Klein.
“Today’s Dallas Opera continues to build on a lavish design tradition begun in the 1950s by company co-founder Larry Kelly, director/designer Franco Zeffirelli, resident costume designer Peter J. Hall, and other extraordinary artists whose magnificent creations—over the course of six decades—became an integral part of our company fabric,” Derrer said.
“Their dreams and ideas, brought to life in this special exhibit, continue to inspire new generations of artists, designers, and opera audiences, and we are deeply grateful to Nancy Nasher, David Haemisegger, and NorthPark for their enthusiasm and steadfast support.”
