Have ballet flats really been trending for 3 years without cooling off? Chanel and Rolex are betting on it: Balletcore is entering 2.0!

A few years ago, Balletcore probably brought to mind the same formula: pink, bows, leg warmers, wrap cardigans, and a pair of Miu Miu ballet flats. Yet by 2026, Balletcore hasn’t faded as quickly as other TikTok trends. Instead, it has begun to enter an entirely different “second phase.” This time, fashion isn’t enamored with simply “dressing like a ballerina.” Luxury brands are stepping into the actual world of ballet: Chanel, Rolex, Paul Smith, and others are building deeper ties with dance companies, performing arts institutions, and dancers through long-term sponsorships. Ballet is no longer just a source of seasonal fashion inspiration; it is gradually becoming a cultural sphere luxury brands want to occupy for the long term.

• Related reading: July’s dreamiest shoe collaboration: BIRKENSTOCK × Repetto brings ballet elements to Birkenstocks!

Balletcore 1.0: First, We Fell for a Ballerina’s Wardrobe

 

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The trend started out simply: brands such as Miu Miu, Simone Rocha, and Sandy Liang brought ballet flats, ribbons, tulle, leg warmers, and wrap tops back into the wardrobe, while celebrities like Jennie and Bella Hadid, along with TikTok, quickly made it one of the aesthetics younger generations know best. Even ballet flats, once just shoes for dance practice, went from “Will they go out of style this year?” to a core shoe style carried by almost every brand. Once everyone had ballet flats, fashion began returning to the source.

Balletcore 2.0: Luxury Brands Step Straight Into the Theater

 

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As early as 1924, Gabrielle Chanel designed costumes for Ballets Russes’ “Le Train Bleu.” A century later, the brand continues to build relationships with arts institutions such as the Paris Opera Ballet. Rolex, Paul Smith, and other brands are likewise making ballet part of their long-term cultural strategies through arts institutions such as the Royal Ballet and Opera, while ballet dancers themselves are becoming fashion icons. Francesca Hayward, a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, has appeared in fashion collaborations and imagery for Burberry, Armani, Chanel, and more. What draws brands to her isn’t that she “looks like a ballerina,” but that she is part of this world herself.

Why Do Luxury Brands Love Ballet So Much?

 

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The answer may lie in a few of luxury’s favorite words: craftsmanship, heritage, and artistry. A pair of pointe shoes represents countless hours of training, while a ballet performance involves costumes, music, staging, the body, and craftsmanship. These values overlap almost perfectly with the image luxury brands want to build. More importantly, at a time when every brand can buy influencer-driven social media exposure, things with genuine historical and cultural depth have become even more valuable. Young audiences are also becoming more interested in ballet, while pop culture figures such as Olivia Rodrigo and Rosalía have further narrowed the distance between dance and Gen Z.

So Balletcore Really Isn’t Over Yet

 

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In its next phase, we may no longer see pink bows all over the streets. Balletcore 2.0 is more likely to appear in satin flats, airy tulle, body-hugging silhouettes, dance events, or even a brand directly sponsoring a ballet performance. From “dressing like a ballerina” to truly appreciating ballet culture, this may be why ballet flats have remained popular for so many years, and why fashion is still reluctant to leave the dance studio. Some trends end when they go out of style; others eventually become a culture.

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