Chanel strengthens its relationship with French arts and culture through its longstanding partnership with the Paris Opera, supporting the Opening Gala of the institution’s 2026-2027 dance season. Building on Gabrielle Chanel‘s historical connection to ballet, the House continues to invest in dance through artistic patronage, costume design and support for emerging performers. Chanel has supported the Opening Gala since 2018, became a Major Patron of the Paris Opera in 2023, and took on the role of Exceptional Patron of the Opera’s Renovation in 2025. Through these initiatives, Chanel contributes to the preservation and development of ballet as an art form, supporting one of France’s most important cultural institutions and the artists who shape its future.
EVENTS
The Opening Gala brings together dancers from across the Paris Opera, including students from the École de Danse, members of the Junior Ballet and the company’s Étoiles. Through its support, Chanel contributes to a programme that recognizes different stages of a dancer’s professional development while presenting new choreographic works.
For the 2026-2027 season, the programme includes Rings of Saturn, the first creation for the Paris Opera by choreographer Juliano Nuñes. Chanel has designed the costumes for the production, extending its involvement in the visual presentation of contemporary ballet. The evening also introduces Vers un pays sage by Jean-Christophe Maillot and Busk by Aszure Barton to the Paris Opera’s repertoire.
The Gala provides another opportunity for Chanel to support the Junior Ballet, which the Paris Opera established in 2024. As the company’s Founding Patron, Chanel contributes to a programme that offers dancers aged 18 to 25 professional experience through two-year training contracts. The Opera selects participants through auditions, creating a structured route into professional dance.
This year’s Gala marks the Junior Ballet’s second performance since its creation. Chanel has designed tutus for the dancers, supporting the young company through costume design while maintaining its involvement in their artistic development. The initiative reflects the importance that Chanel and the Paris Opera place on education, inclusion and access to the arts.
The House also provides tutus and tiaras for the Étoiles during the traditional Défilé du Ballet, bringing its design expertise to one of the Gala’s established presentations. These contributions connect Chanel’s work in fashion with the technical requirements of ballet, where costumes form an essential part of performance.
Chanel’s relationship with dance dates to Gabrielle Chanel, who developed connections with the performing arts early in her career. After meeting Sergei Diaghilev in 1920, she designed costumes for Le Train Bleu in 1924. She subsequently worked on George Balanchine‘s Apollon Musagète in 1928 and Léonide Massine‘s Bacchanale in 1939.
The House has continued this association through collaborations with choreographers and productions at the Paris Opera. In 2019, Chanel revisited the costumes for Serge Lifar‘s Variations, followed by designs for Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui‘s Exposure in 2020 and Victor Gsovsky‘s Grand Pas Classique in 2021.
In 2025, Chanel created thirteen stage costumes for Red Carpet, Hofesh Shechter‘s first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet. Previous Opening Galas have also featured costumes designed by the House for Étoiles Amandine Albisson, Valentine Colasante and Hannah O’Neill.
Through its continued patronage and costume collaborations, Chanel maintains an active role in the Paris Opera’s artistic programme. Its involvement supports established performers, emerging dancers and new choreography, continuing Gabrielle Chanel’s association with ballet while contributing to the future of dance within a major French cultural institution.
