Elena Glurdjidze, Senior Principal dancer of the English National Ballet, who will wear the creation for her performance of 'The Dying Swan', says "we always say that the look is 50% of how you are going to dance, so it is very important to have a beautiful costume".

Chanel has a long association with the ballet: Coco Chanel herself designed costumes for both 'Le Train Bleu' in 1924 and 'Apollon Musagete' in 1929.  Indeed it was Chanel herself who, in Lagerfeld's words, "helped Diaghilev to stage [his ballet] again after World War I in 1919".   

The “tutu” was made in the Lemarié Atelier from a variety of different feathers. The costume took 3 women over 100 hours to create.  It will have its debut on stage at Sadler's Wells in London on 16 June 2009 before going to Barcelona for performances in September at the Gran Teatro del Liceu.