Fashion is a form of art; conversely, artists often look to designers to heighten the artistic expression through collaborations.

A powerful example of this creative intersection are the costumes for the recent world premiere of San Francisco Ballet’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen.

It is choreographed by Havana-born Arielle Smith and set in Cuba with a jazz-infused score by Arturo O’Farrill. But for us fashion lovers especially, the pièce de résistance are the costumes created by Gabriela Hearst in her stage design debut.

The cast sports looks in vibrant red, sunflower yellow, and black ribbed merino wool, all designed to express body and movement.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to do ballet costumes… and it’s a Latin production,” the CFDA  member said. “Sometimes I’d go see a ballet and the costumes just distract me. When Arielle Smith 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.”

The task at hand perfectly spoke to Hearst’s ethos centered on conscious fashion with the environment at its core. Thus the choice of wool.

“The other thing people always ask me, what is the most sustainable fiber you can use?” Hearst added. “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.”

The production is part of Dos Mujeres, a collaboration between Latina and Hispanic female artistic forces led by Madrid-raised San Francisco Ballet director Tamara Rojo. It also features Broken Wings, which explores the life of Frida Kahlo’s.

Rojo said that both productions were “brilliantly envisioned by remarkable choreographers showcasing the breadth of Latina womanhood and expanding the stories we tell onstage. 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.”