WET BALLET

Arriving to 508W 26th Street I closed google maps and walked into a big white building. The liftman greeted me, closed the door, and we ascended to the 10th floor in a true 60s fashion. The elevator doors opened to reveal a long industrial corridor, afraid I’d written down the wrong address, I walked down checking the door numbers. 10G. 

The sound of laughter and light chatter slipped through an intimidating door, as I opened it tentatively, the space flooded with a soft afternoon glow. The pastel tones of the inflatables decorating the studio gave it a warm welcoming feeling, matched by Teresa and her team, who rushed to greet me with a hug. 

After the initial small talk, drink in hand, they offered to show me around the collection. 

It is a spacious corner studio, two high windows follow the length of two white walls, a simple round column centres the room, a metallic stair stool matches the dark polished concrete floors. The industrial simplicity and diaphaneity of the space feel like a backstage. 

Big rounded inflatable cubes draw a path through the collection, creating a geometrical game of perspective that highlights and hides different pieces, giving dimension and a dance-like fluidity to the outlay. 

Long dresses fall from invisible strings, jackets hang up in the air, cotton t-shirts thrown on the props, pumps lay carefully on the floor, and leather hats sit in tripods ready for a quick wardrobe change. You’re immersed in a symphony of tulle, leather, fur, lace, beads and silk. 

As we started walking, I tried to soak in every detail: their new prêt-à-porter shirts delicately strewn over the decorations, in between ballerina dresses and soft-pink pleated tulle skirts -that made me feel like a five year old again, dreaming to become a ballerina. A bright yellow raincoat caught my eye: A-line silhouette, patent leather, double-breasted, round yellow buttons. My gaze traveled to the short dress hanged next to it, the small yellow beads sewn into each layer of tulle reminded me of thin raindrops. 

Pointing out one of the dresses, we stopped and admired it as if it were an art piece hanging in a museum. A beautiful long dress that almost looked like a collage. Rectangles of white fur connected by an intrinsically detailed blue lace, fell from a bodice adorned with the same fur. I reached out to touch the soft fabric. 

Floating dresses seamlessly fit into each other in perfect harmony. Falling fabrics build an atmosphere that flows through the studio, each piece falls into place and into the space. Strong silhouettes and cascading fabrics, pleats and ruffles fuse with the body, emphasising the movement and fluidity of ballet. 

The collection is organised in blocks of colour that fade into each other through their soft undertones. Pinks and nudes  turn to yellows, yellows evolve to greens, greens transform into blues and whites, and blues become pinks again. 

As we rounded the last corner I congratulated them on their work for the eleventh time, still mesmerised with their intricate creations. They asked for my favourite piece -out of curiosity. I couldn’t chose, every time I looked around a different one stood up. I could overhear other guests echoing praises as they walked through the collection. 

I was curious about their choice for a showroom in New York, instead of their usual runaways in Madrid or Paris. They explained how they had fallen in love with the versatility of that studio last year, and the process of building a narrative around it. 

Wine glasses, plates, bowls, shot glasses, vases, and champagne flutes sit on a white tablecloth in one of the corners; some fallen, others thoughtfully placed on top of each other. They are filled with Spanish olive oil and accompanied by different loafs of bread and crackers, bringing the unique ‘made in Spain’ aura of Teresa Helbig’s collections to the story told by the decoration. 

Wet Ballet highlights the artisanship and care that define this brand. On the golden age of fast fashion, Teresa choses time and time again to bet on one-of-a-kind hand-made pieces -making very single one of her collections timeless.