Designer Daniella Kallmeyer Creates Costumes for Martha Graham Dance Company's 100th Anniversary Gala

Daniella Kallmeyer designed custom costumes for the Martha Graham Dance Company's 100th Anniversary Gala performance at the New York Public Library. Dancers Xin Ying and Lloyd Knight wore her creations during an excerpt from O Thou Desire Who Art About to Sing. Ying's burgundy dress evolved from the Roma gown in Kallmeyer's pre-fall 2026 collection, transformed into a leotard while maintaining its flowing drape. Knight wore a matching burgundy cummerbund that complemented Ying's airy look. Kallmeyer revealed she had originally designed her pre-fall collection with Martha Graham in mind, inspired by Graham's use of fabric in choreography. The designer frequently considers how bodies move within her clothing, drawing proportions from dance. Graham's signature color palette of red, white, and black influenced the costume choices. Kallmeyer's connection to dance began with childhood theater attendance and deepened through seeing Graham's Lamentation and a Philip Glass ballet at American Ballet Theatre. Her early experience included a summer intensive at the Martha Graham School in New York. The gala performance represented a full-circle moment connecting her design career with her dance background.