Kaia Gerber's Black Swan Naked Dress Proves Ballet Is Still Very Much "Alive"
Take that, Timothée Chalamet.
A Timothée Chalamet interview where he insinuated ballet is a struggling art form is churning up a lot of conversation. As a rebuttal, I can't help but notice the impact ballet still has on fashion. For instance, when Kaia Gerber arrived at March 11's pre-Oscars Vanity Fair party, she looked fresh from a Swan Lake pas de deux in a tutu-turned-little black-naked dress by Givenchy.
See, Chalamet? There's no fighting to "keep this thing alive." Ballet's silhouettes remain ingrained in red carpet fashion. Perhaps Gerber's five-day-old, Fall 2026 pull was her way of endorsing the art form's relevancy.
She chose Look 38 from creative director Sarah Burton's third Givenchy collection. (As a two-time Givenchy campaign star, it likely arrived on her doorstep, no questions asked.) Even with tens of LBDs under her belt, this one stood out for the juxtaposition between the plunging, floral lace bodice—where her underwear peeked out from the sheer drop-waist—and the Black Swan-inspired skirt. Once the lace reached Gerber's thighs, it flared out like any tutu in Misty Copeland's collection. Oversize pleats—stacked on top of tulle to maintain their structure—molded the mini almost perpendicular to the gray carpet.
Kaia Gerber proved just how fashionable ballet can be in Givenchy's tutu dress.
On the runway, Burton filled the V-neck's negative space with carnelian pendant necklaces, which stopped mere millimeters before the neckline's apex. Mismatched, elongated earrings added more pops of orange. Gerber, on the other hand, opted out of jewelry altogether. The Palm Royale actor's only accessory? Pointy, patent leather pumps.
See Gerber's tutu-turned-dress on the Givenchy Fall 2026 runway.
If anyone can spearhead a tutu revival, it's Sarah Burton at Givenchy. Voluminous skirts like Gerber's have been a fixture of the McQueen alum's new tenure: They've had starring roles in all three of her runway shows (so far). Plus, Ariana Grande modeled Burton's Fall 2025 tutu at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. The little white dress's multi-layer tulle skirt was twice the size of Gerber's. Some publications even likened its dimensions to a "loofah."
Back in September, Grande looked angelic in a Givenchy tutu dress.
Grande's same look on the Fall 2025 runway.
More recently, Sentimental Value star Renate Reinsve attended the Palm Springs Film Festival in Givenchy's Spring 2026 tutu: a mostly-naked, stark white gown, featuring layers upon layers of tulle toward the hem. Similar to Gerber, her matching underwear emerged from beneath the transparent plunge bodice.
Renate Reinsve was drawn to Givenchy's tutus, too.
Reinsve's gown was just as glamorous on the Spring 2026 runway.
All these tutu-esque Givenchy dresses make me miss the ballet, in all its graceful, yet highly technical, glory. Whether Burton knew it or not, incorporating them into her designs was a beautiful way to spotlight ballerinas in a moment where they deserve support. I, for one, will follow Burton's lead by wearing a tutu-topped dress to my local ballet. See you at center stage.
