Dance from Day to Night

This past September, Edges of Ailey opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art and brought together over 80 artists for the first large-scale museum exhibition that celebrates the life, dances, influences, and legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. 

Included in the exhibition is a series of costume designs and corresponding photographs and documentary slides of the 1977 Ailey II performance at the opening night of Studio 54. Antonio and Juan designed the costumes for this memorable event, and The Archives is honored that this iconic moment in visual culture was recorded, remembered, and contextualized within the broader view of Ailey’s enduring impact.

By 1977, Ailey was already widely recognized as one of the most influential and groundbreaking figures in American modern dance and his company had become a key institution in the dance world known for its dynamic fusion of ballet, modern dance, and jazz. Ailey himself was seen as a pioneer who gave voice to African American experiences through dance, pushing boundaries both in terms of choreography and representation.

But Studio 54 was not a preeminent performing arts venue like New York City Center, and as such, the Ailey company needed costuming that paid homage to the eclectic culture of disco, and no one knew how to better translate the cultural zeitgeist than Antonio and Juan.

First, Fiorucci

Photo: Elio Fiorucci outside Fiorucci, 1977. 

Disco and fashion were inseparable, feeding off each other in a frenzy of synthetic fabrics, bright lights, and boundary-pushing style. The rise of new materials—sequins, metallics, lamé—coincided with a post-counterculture era that craved liberation and self-expression. Disco wasn’t just music; it was visual spectacle, and the dance floors of the 1970s glittered with men in platform shoes and women in tailored suits, a direct affront to the staid, structured dressing of previous decades. It wasn’t just about looking good; it was about feeling free.

Designers scrambled to keep up, but no one did it better than Elio Fiorucci. His eponymous store, Fiorucci, which opened in 1976 on East 59th Street, wasn’t just a retail space— it was a place to be seen. Fiorucci was a playground for the avant-garde, a place where art, fashion, and nightlife collided.

Antonio and Juan soon became trusted advisors who helped shape the brand’s identity, designing store windows and serving as buying consultants to help scout the next big thing. Along with friend and designer David Wolfson, they began creating their own designs for Fiorucci, like intricately woven ribbon skirts and wild, unrealized concepts for ribbon hats and sleeves that only came alive when moving. It was fashion that was meant for motion.

Images: 876 Broadway studio, Antonio drawing Fiorucci ribbon on Vivianne Castaños , 1977

From Elio to Ailey

In April 1977, the year following Fiorucci’s arrival, the famed Studio 54 was scheduled to open on West 54th. Its inaugural evening was set to be a spectacular affair that included a performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ailey II company, choreographed by Kay Thompson. In the spirit of collaboration, and with the desire to bring fashion forward spectacle to the premiere, Antonio and Juan were commissioned to create two looks for the dancers.

The first design was a modified version of the Fiorucci ribbon dress. Female dancers were outfitted with deconstructed skirts, paired with bold contrasting tights, lamé capes, and flowers in their hair, while the men wore suit pants with colored piping and metallic vests. Together, they were a 1970s take on Flamenco dancers, blending tradition and modernity.

The second look leaned into the rising streetwear and gym-inspired trend. Dancers wore Adidas shorts, spandex leotards, and hand-painted sweater that were graffiti-tagged with their names, ‘Alvin Ailey,’ ‘54,’ and ‘Fiorucci’ across the front and back.

Pictured: Kodak Instamatics of Ailey dancers wearing their custom costumes photographed at Antonio +Juan 's studio 

In the 1970s New York City had become the epicenter of disco culture. The vibrant scene was characterized by extravagant parties, elaborate performances, and an atmosphere of liberation and self-expression that provided a sanctuary for marginalized communities on the dance floor.

As a product of their generation, this sense of freedom, sensuality, exploration, and joie de vivre was in Antonio and Juan’s social DNA and was reflected in their practice across all disciplines. Art historian Alistair O’Neill wrote in the Visionary Writing catalogue “ They strove to represent an uninhibited body, release by music, both sensual and sexual; and the work they pursued [arose] our of a unique historical moment when the unending pursuit of beauty moved to the unbroken sound of a continuous beat.”

And there was no better dance company than Alvin Ailey’s to bring this movement to life.