New York City Ballet principal dancer Gilbert Bolden III transformed a classic men's dress shirt into a dramatic fish-tail gown for the annual New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala on 1 October 2026, turning a familiar menswear staple into a theatrical red-carpet look. Designed and constructed by Bolden himself, the floor-sweeping white ensemble retained recognisable shirt details, including a structured collar, sleeves and a row of front buttons, before extending into a fitted, floor-length silhouette that flared towards the hem.
The design also prompted an Audrey Hepburn comparison from a Reddit commenter reacting to images of Bolden's appearance. The commenter wrote: 'Reminds me of Audrey Hepburn,' referencing Hepburn's famous Ascot ensemble from My Fair Lady.
How the Shirt Became a Gown
One of the look's most distinctive elements was a graphic black tie, which Bolden wrapped diagonally around his torso, waist and hips rather than wearing conventionally. The spiral of black fabric created a corset-like visual effect against the white shirt-inspired gown.
By retaining the visual language of a traditional button-up while dramatically changing its proportions, Bolden recast an everyday menswear staple as eveningwear. The result brought together elements of tailoring and theatrical fashion while retaining the visual identity of the original shirt.
Bolden's interest in fashion extends beyond this single appearance. He has previously designed and sewn his own clothes, developing his skills during the pandemic while creating looks for his drag persona, Ivy Profen. His self-made approach has since become part of his wider creative expression beyond the ballet studio.
Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady (1964) showing us all how to wear costume art. pic.twitter.com/C16wSvLaWH
— ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ (@Old_But_Gold50s) May 15, 2026
Why One Viewer Saw Audrey Hepburn
The comparison is understandable when viewed alongside Hepburn's iconic 1964 My Fair Lady Ascot costume, designed by Cecil Beaton. The white gown features striking black detailing and an elaborate, highly stylised silhouette.
The connection is visual rather than evidence of a direct reference by Bolden. Both looks use a predominantly white silhouette with strong black accents to create a theatrical monochrome effect. But while Beaton's costume drew on Edwardian fashion and the elaborate spectacle of the famous Ascot scene, Bolden's creation begins with the visual language of contemporary menswear.
Rather than recreating Hepburn's costume, Bolden achieves a similarly dramatic effect through the vocabulary of the dress shirt and necktie. The comparison offers an unexpected link between one of cinema's most recognisable fashion moments and a contemporary dancer's self-made red-carpet creation.
From Ballet to Fashion
Bolden was born in San Diego, California, and began dancing at nine in Las Vegas before continuing his ballet training in California and Philadelphia. He studied at the Rock School for Dance Education and the School of American Ballet.
He joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice in 2017, became a corps de ballet member in 2018 and was promoted to soloist in 2023. In February 2025, he became a principal dancer, performing featured roles across the company's repertory.
The Fall Fashion Gala brings together the worlds of ballet and fashion, with designers, choreographers and dancers contributing to an event built around the relationship between the two disciplines. Bolden's self-made creation extended that connection onto the red carpet, transforming a quintessential piece of menswear into an expressive evening look.
And while there is no indication that Bolden set out to recreate Audrey Hepburn's My Fair Lady moment, at least one viewer saw a resemblance — adding an unexpected cinematic reference to an already unconventional fashion statement.
