In what might be an example of prismatic partnerships, Friday’s premier of “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago radiates.
The new commission is inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins’ double album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and will mark its 30th anniversary. Founder, frontman and Grammy winner Billy Corgan has joined forces with his hometown’s opera company to create a new sonic and visual experience. His wife Chloe Mendel runs the House of Gilles with her father Gilles and the duo have created the wardrobe for the four performers and Morgan.
Adding another dimension to the creativity, the daughter-father duo are collaborating with Simon Ungless, whose career is linked to being a part of Lee Alexander McQueen’s original team. Now based in Sausalito, Calif., Ungless has his own When Simon Met Ralph label and his Worn Wear Rehab can be found at Angelina Jolie’s Atelier Jolie in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.
The opera’s male tenor and baritone performers will wear classic tailcoats and suits with a screen print of lace that has a transparent finish that makes it appear to be wet, or leather-like, depending on the vantage point. Each look has a strong shoulder and a dramatic elongated bow tie, cummerbund and one handcrafted rose motif for a lapel.
Having worked with dancers from the New York City Ballet in the past, the House of Gilles’ founders spoke excitedly about how the opera performers felt transformed during a recent try-on. The female soprano and alto performers will sport handcrafted pleated gowns that were made with metallic threads and embellished with flowers. Designed to magnify light and movement, the garments also show off the skills of House of Gilles’ atelier.
While the performers won’t be wearing costumes in the traditional sense, Chloe Mendel said it was initially a little challenging deciding how to tell the story about Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness, while celebrating the individual singers and relaying refinement, beauty, and timelessness.
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“Billy gave us a few words, and we had to run with that — ‘David Bowie, Art Deco, and pre-Berlin 1930s.’ He was like, ‘Watch some movies like Weimar Republic [that are set in Berlin,]’” she said. “It was more confusing than not, so we had to integrate it all. Basically, it was the compilation of this fantasy. In the end, everything is a fantasy for Billy.”
Over time, Gilles Mendel said they leaned toward bringing a more of-the-moment modernity to a rock star in a classical environment. He and his daughter first collaborated with Ungless two years ago to create priestly-type robes for Corgan’s concert performances.
Ungless said Thursday that what he found most exciting was being exposed to Mendel’s womenswear work that is created in the New York atelier.
“Truly excited about the quality and attention to detail that he puts into his work,” he said. “It feels like a good match to me, similar to when I worked with Lee McQueen. Very few people these days work in such a refined way.”
Eager to do more collaborations like the opera one, Chloe Mendel said, “First and foremost, we are a couture house. We are art-driven. We can really show how our ability can translate into different art and performance, and how creative we are. Creativity can also be flexible. It can be in a lot of different areas. That’s why we started this brand — to do things that we love and that are outside of the box and are inspiring.”
As an ode to the performance, the House of Gilles will be launching limited-edition hand-painted hoodies and T-shirts, and a handmade brooch, on Friday that will be sold at the opera and on the House of Gilles’ site. The T-shirts will retail for $275, hoodies will sell for $350 and the handmade brooch will cost $350, too. There will be 25 T-shirts and 25 hoodies, which are each different and carry custom prints that Ungless cooked up.
For Friday night’s opener, Morgan will enlist the talents of some guest artists to join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a 25-person choir in the new experience. James Lowe has done the arrangements and orchestrations with Corgan for the two-hour performance that runs through Dec. 30. The Mendels will join other creatives, who are involved with the performance, for what is known in opera circles as the “penguin bow.” Years ago that consisted primarily of men in tuxedos — hence, the name.
Chloe Mendel said, “When you get to work with the top artists and performers in any industry, it’s so inspiring and exciting. I really hope that we can do more of this – whatever it takes,” she said, adding that opera goers are lovers of the arts and they appreciate not just the music, but the set, the costumes and Moore for a full 360-degree experience.
