Gabriela Hearst debuts sustainable costumes for San Francisco Ballet’s ‘Carmen’

Gabriela Hearst is making her debut in stage design, crafting sustainable costumes for the San Francisco Ballet’s production of ‘Carmen’ as part of Dos Mujeres. 

Dos Mujeres is a collaborative effort led by Tamara Rojo, the director of the San Francisco Ballet, who has been pivotal in championing women’s stories and storytellers in dance. The program includes Arielle Smith’s modern-day Cuban adaptation of Carmen, alongside Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s vibrant exploration of Frida Kahlo’s life in Broken Wings.

What sets this production apart is Gabriela Hearst’s innovative costume design. Drawing inspiration from her Uruguayan heritage and commitment to sustainability, Hearst has crafted all costumes for Carmen from merino wool, known for its eco-friendly properties.

Carmen is dressed in a ribbed merino wool red dress with fluted sleeves and apron. The dancers dressed in vibrant red, sunflower yellow, and black ribbed merino wool sets accent the body and movement.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to do ballet costumes… and it’s a Latin production. Sometimes I’d go see a ballet and the costumes just distract me. When Areille said she wanted the clothes to feel normal…and that she resonated with the colors I thought were very Latin but not a caricature, I was so excited,” said Hearst. 

“The other thing people always ask me, what is the most sustainable fiber you can use? And its wool, and merino is one of the thinnest wools there is in the world, and has high performance. So I think that was also exciting to do all the costumes knitted.” 

Hearst’s runway shows have been a pioneering example of sustainability, using deadstock fabrics, and eliminating plastic use. Her Spring/Summer 2020 collection marked the first-ever carbon neutral runway show.

“We are thrilled to introduce Broken Wings and a brand-new Carmen—our second world-premiere commission of the season—to audiences in San Francisco, two ballets that are brilliantly envisioned by remarkable choreographers showcasing the breadth of Latina womanhood and expanding the stories we tell onstage,” said Rojo. 

“With exceptional creative elements across disciplines, from incredible costume design to original scores infused with Mexican and Cuban influences, as well as delightfully unexpected casting that challenges gender expectations, our hope with Dos Mujeres is to celebrate the diverse community in San Francisco and uplift the voices of female choreographers as they interpret some of our most complex heroines.” 

Dos Mujeres premieres with a cast including principal dancers Jasmine Jimison, Sasha de Sola, Jennifer Stahl, Esteban Hernández, Joseph Walsh, and Wei Wang. Performance dates run through April.