The Italian prima ballerina Iole Tornaghi was called Iola Ignatyevna in Russia for the sake of simplicity. Short and frail, Iola always dressed elegantly. This gray-blue silk dress with metallic clasps, trimmed with bugle beads and satin embroidery, embellished with pleated ruffles and 25 rosettes, is in the Art Nouveau style. This style of dress was very popular in the 1890s and 1910s. During this period, layering became popular in women’s clothing, when light, translucent fabrics: chiffon, gauze and tulle or lace, were overlaid on the fabric in the same tone as the main color of the dress. Art Nouveau was known for its elegant intertwining of flower stems, exquisite representations of cyclamens, irises, and lilies. The theme of nature often continued in ornamental patterns with stylized images of dragonflies, butterflies, peacocks, and swallows.

From the end of the first decade of the 20th century elements of neoclassicism began to appear in women’s costume. The S-line silhouette disappeared, as did the corset and wide underskirts. It is noteworthy that one of the reasons for the corset disappearing from women’s costume was the invention of the X-ray lamp, because it clearly demonstrated the negative effects of the corset on health. A combination of heavy fabrics: velvet, brocade, satin — with translucent floaty gauze, chiffon, tulle became more fashionable. Often dresses of fine diaphanous fabrics, like Iola’s, were decorated with heavy embroidery, with bugle beads, seed beads, sequins, and metallic thread.

Iole Tornaghi had six children in her marriage with Chaliapin. The ballerina left the stage for the sake of her family, but occasionally she would indulge the Moscow public with her performances. Thus, during one children’s performance involving Chaliapin’s children, Iole unexpectedly danced a minuet with her own daughters. The audience was delighted to see her appear on stage.