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"  Photo: Courtesy of New York City Ballet While we&amp;#039;re so used to associating Lincoln Center with New York Fashion Week these days, it&amp;#039;s easy to forget that the grand NYC venue&amp;#039;s main function is to host the arts\u2014specifically dance. Come Thursday evening, New York City Ballet will be taking back the performing arts center for a major night of glamour and dance when Sarah Jessica Parker hosts the annual fall gala. There are also three rock star choreographer and designer collaborations on costumes: Benjamin Millepied (aka Natalie Portman&amp;#039;s hot hubby) teamed up with Iris van Herpen, Justin Peck worked with Prabal Gurung, and Angelin Preljocaj partnered with Olivier Theyskens (How&amp;#039;s that for a pas de deux?). The soiree also marks the kickoff of the fall NYCB season, which runs through October 13. How does SJP fit in, you might wonder? Aside from wearing a tutu during the credits of Sex and the City and prancing around on set for her guest role on Fox&amp;#039;s Glee, the actress is actually trained in ballet. Given her dance background and style-icon status, she was a natural choice to chair the event again, connecting the worlds of fashion and art.  Even if you won&amp;#039;t be a gala-goer this year, we&amp;#039;ll be providing exclusive inside access when NYCB principal dancer Tiler Peck shares her photo diary (Check back on Friday!). But before, read on to find out what inspired Gurung&amp;#039;s costume creations.  What was it like working with Justin Peck?  Working with Justin has been great. I am so impressed by his work and the caliber of his talent. He has really brought a new level of excitement to dance. How did you approach designing the costumes? Did you study the dancers?  I spent quite a bit of time talking through the process and the concept behind his choreography. I was also able to sit in at rehearsals, which was hugely important so that I could study the movement of the piece and the dancers before approaching the design. What influenced and inspired your designs?  I was very much inspired by the emotion in the piece and wanted the costumes to mirror the highs and lows. How will the costumes work with the dancers&amp;#039; movement?  To allow for the dancers to maintain the fluidity in their movement, I created pieces that were form fitting but not restrictive. For the men, the costumes complement the women&amp;#039;s costumes and all looks are contained by harnesses to play into the overall feel of the piece. How is designing dance costumes similar or dissimilar from your own line?  Designing in any capacity is, for me, a similar process. I work with my inspiration and focus on who I am dressing and why. Essentially, everything we design in [some] ways [is] a costume.  Photo: Courtesy of The New York City Ballet  Photo: Courtesy of The New York City Ballet  Photo: Courtesy of The New York City Ballet  Photo: Courtesy of The New York City Ballet "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a23745/prabal-gurung-interview-new-york-city-ballet/>