Crazy Horse and fashion, a love story
Twice a year, for the spring-summer and fall-winter collections, Paris vibrates with the colors, sequins, and glamour of the biggest annual fashion event, Fashion Week.
Crazy Horse Paris and its shows have always been an inspiration for creators, models, photographers, and celebrities. Follow us behind the scenes of this special relationship with the world of fashion.
A temple to sensuality and femininity, a cozy boudoir full of history and glamour, a jewel case for the most beautiful women in the world, Crazy Horse Paris has always been the privileged place of an artistic effervescence the secret to which only Paris holds.
It is therefore natural that the fashion world keeps Crazy Horse Paris close to its heart, and reciprocally: a relationship of love that has woven close ties ever since 1951.
They (un)dress the dancers of Crazy Horse Paris : the couturiers
It all began in the fifties. When Crazy Horse Paris opened its doors, its neighbors were Yves Saint-Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, and Cristobal Balenciaga. The latter, located just next door to the cabaret, feared that his high society clients would not appreciate the decorations done in the purest “saloon” spirit, which Alain Bernardin had installed outside. He then received a concession from the creator of Crazy Horse Paris. Bernadin agreed to limit these installations… in exchange for dresses for his dancers. And thus the first collaboration of the cabaret with haute couture was born!
A few years later Karl Lagerfeld designed a perfect little black dress with white polka dots for an act inspired by the famous scene of Marilyn Monroe standing over a subway grating blowing air up her dress in “The Seven Year Itch”, while in the sixties Paco Rabanne chose Crazy Horse Paris as the setting to present his iconic metal dress.
Very close to Alain Bernardin, the founder of the cabaret, Azzedine Alaïa confessed to having “learned women’s bodies at Crazy Horse Paris”, for which he created sublime dresses for the dancers in the 80s.
In the early 2000s, the “genius of leather” Jean-Claude Jitrois designed clothes in black and silver leather for the dancers of the cabaret.
Later, it was Mark Fast, a brilliant Canadian fashion designer based in London, and the talented Hervé L. Leroux, creator of the legendary bandage dresses under the name of Hervé Leger, who dressed the dancers at gala events.
With its guest stars, Crazy Horse Paris sparkles in the firmament of fashion
From 2006, the collaborations intensified and diversified. Deeply inspired by the sophisticated and ultra-feminine universe of the cabaret, one after another, the most iconic fashion designers created unforgettable outfits, imprinted with their DNA, which highlighted the perfect curves and slender profiles of the Crazy Girls and of the invited artists.
From these famous collaborations, mythical relationships are forged between the creators and their muses: Thierry Mugler and Arielle Dombasle (2007) then Pamela Anderson (2008), Elie Saab and Dita Von Teese (2006 and 2009), Roberto Cavalli and Clotilde Courau (2010), Hervé Leroux and Noémie Lenoir (2013), Jean Paul Gaultier and Conchita Wurst (2014), Alexis Mabille and Ralph & Russo and Dita Von Teese (2016). But it’s not only fashion designers who thrill for Crazy Horse Paris: in the next episode discover how creators and celebrities have also made it their source of inspiration or their favorite spot to party!
Chic stilettos showcase femininity
To accentuate their breathtaking arched backs, the dancers are perched on stilettos, boots and other exceptional footwear. Since 2007, Christian Louboutin has provided the Crazy Girls with his renowned red soles and dizzying heels – his legendary shoes symbolize the height of femininity, fully in step with the essence of Crazy Horse Paris.
As the artistic director of the show Feu in 2012, he created acts immersed in his universe, including the iconic and surprising Voodoo, which was chosen to appear once again on the stage in the current Totally Crazy show.
Corsets and lingerie highlight the dancers’ curves
The Crazy Horse dancers’ curves, emphasized by delicate lingerie, have always inspired corsetieres. Lingerie and corsets, fatal weapons of seduction, are thus created to measure by Poupie Cadolle and Fifi Chachnil, celebrated lingerie designers who share a common passion for the body, refinement and excellence. Not to mention the goddess of chic lingerie, Chantal Thomass, the first woman invited to take on the role of Art Director at Crazy Horse Paris for the show Dessous Dessus in 2016. You can admire her sublime adornments in the numbers Reines des Cœurs and Striptease-Moi, both featured in Totally Crazy.
Are you enchanted by these creations?
Did you know that the beautiful body suit from Reines des Cœurs, custom made for the Crazy Girls by Chantal Thomass, is available exclusively at the Crazy Horse Paris shop?
Crazy Horse Paris, great inspiration for the greatest photographers
Crazy Horse Paris inspires photographers (and not just fashion photographers) to give their creativity free rein. The famous Ellen Von Unwerth has shot there several times and her poster design for the Dessus Dessous show by Chantal Thomass is of particular note. It’s impossible to not also evoke the eclectic Ali Mahdavi and his superb images of the divine Dita Von Teese, Arielle Dombasle, Clotilde Courau and Noémie Lenoir, which gave rise to magnificent posters for these cabaret “guest stars”. Youssef Nabil created the poster image for the show Feu by Christian Louboutin, while Pierre and Gilles were the ones behind the show poster with Conchita Wurst draped in a beautiful Jean Paul Gaultier outfit. That photo was then displayed at the Grand Palais in 2015 during the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition. The talented Antoine Poupel and Riccardo Tinelli regularly make photo shoots during the show or in backstage with the Crazy Girls.
The talented Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø, who regularly collaborates with magazines like i-D, Dazed and Confused and Vogue, as well as brands like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès and MAC, shot the official image for the show currently on stage, Totally Crazy.
From models to iconic brands… Crazy Horse Paris is the place to be!
Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley… the fashion world is their playground and these sublime models choose to party at Crazy Horse Paris! But top models and muses are not the only ones seduced by the glamorous Crazy Horse Paris – singers, artists, actors and designers go there regularly. Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, Kanye West, Jay Z and Beyoncé, Dita Von Teese, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lana Del Rey and Robin Thicke are all crazy about Crazy Horse Paris.
The cabaret can also lend itself to the needs and desires of iconic brands and their designers. To name but a few: Balmain chose Crazy Horse Paris for an after-show that has not been forgotten, as did the famous concept store colette, Roberto Cavalli and Philipp Plein. Manish Arora, Fifi Chachnil, the creator of Haute Coiffure Charlie Le Mindu, and the young brand Jour/né have all organized fashion shows on the legendary Crazy Horse Paris stage.
Others, such as Miu Miu, have invited Crazy Horse Paris troupe to perform outside the cabaret at sumptuous evening events with more than 800 handpicked guests. The jeweler Chopard made a big impact by closing its legendary festival at the Cannes Film Festival with a custom-designed show by Crazy Horse Paris entitled “Crazy Diamonds”.
Creators, designers, fabulous brand names and celebrities participate in the legend of Crazy Horse Paris… So who knows who could be sitting in these iconic velvet armchairs next to you when you come to the show!