Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 7 - A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness

29 | Lyric Opera of Chicago craftsmanship of the interior of the garments is actually more important than the exterior: how you feel in it, the security, all of those elements,” Chloé says. “And yet it’s not heavy; our construction is very light.” The metallic gowns will have a rock ‘n’ roll edge but still feel romantic, with flowers handmade in the House of Gilles New York atelier by petites mains , skilled artisans trained under Chanel. There are, of course, nods to the iconic imagery of the Mellon Collie double album: look for references to the moon, albeit with a Deco twist. But largely, what you see is fresh and fashion-forward. “We had to step away from the original imagery and build something new, something that reflects this reimagined music and the opera as it is today,” Gilles says. “There’s so much to draw from, from that album, but our goal was to capture its emotion The costumes, and the show itself, are an ode not just to the album but to Chloé and Billy’s identities and the creative space they occupy in the world From left: Actress Nina Dobrev, Gilles Mendel, and Chloé Mendel Corgan at the 2024 New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala; sketch of an overcoat designed for Billy Corgan for this production; Chloé and Billy at the Maison Margiela show during Paris Fashion Week, 2025; two sketches for the soloists flank a gown from the latest House of Gilles bridal collection.