Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear Fw2016

The Mulleavy-sisters wanted to tell a San Francisco story for their fall Rodarte-show. Their collection was an ode to Art Nouveau romance inspired by music posters and the genre’s crafty, gypsy-nymph decoration and witchy fantasy.

Slim, tea-length dresses sectioned into collagelike panels of hand-beaded and hand-painted guipure lace with floral and bird accents were dreamy examples of the designers’ imaginative eveningwear with a homespun touch. Perhaps taking a cue from Scott McKenzie, these San Francisco nouveau fairies were sure to wear flowers in their hair. Other pretty dresses featured a single sleeve with bodices and skirts traced in pink, black and burgundy or pink ruffles.

The daydream was interrupted by clunky ruffled leather pieces (jackets, belts, gloves); garishly colored long-haired goat jackets, and boots that stretched up the calf in cutouts and brown ruffles.

Rodarte Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

Of course, designers look back for inspiration all the time. Yet not often do classic and modern blend so well together as they did at Rodarte. Inspired by poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy came up with an eclectic Victorian collection. Lots of lace and fur, appliqués and sparkles. To attend a fancy dinner or hit the dance floor. Dressed up yet not too costume-y. With long silky scarves, metal belts and extra long sleeves focusing on neck, waist and cuffs. Hair accessories and XL earrings added to the drama of the looks, which presented on an icy runway, appeared more winter than summer. Okay, those giant fur coats like the pale pink one worn by Laura Julie might have had something to do with that too. This was nostalgic Hollywood glitter with a light modern touch. Glam rock done in the most elegant way with lots of attention for detail. Disco chic with a movie star touch. And that is where we approach Kate and Laura’s other project, directing upcoming movie Woodshock. An exciting new step in their careers that luckily didn’t affect their exquisite taste and talent in fashion designing.

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2015

The starting point for the latest Rodarte collection was birds. Migrating birds. Birds migrating from city to country. But is looked like it was all about disco. There were multicolor sequin stripes; one-shoulder dresses; a crystal mesh material that read as a kind of magic lamé; and that Bob Mackie-style, heavy-duty figurative bead embroidery that’s done a long-term penance in the thrift shop bins.

The connection between birds and disco was color: Avian plumage prompted a relook at that rainbow-hued, peacocking disco moment. And it’s also true that the bird reference wasn’t so far-flung, given the preponderance of feathers on the Rodarte runway.
 

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2015

The Rodarte-sisters starting point for their spring collection were tide pools and all of the glistening, mysterious materials and textures therein. Whether they were referencing the life aquatic of their California youth or of their verdant imaginations, no matter. They mined the waters and came out with dresses mesmerizing in their messiness: elaborate pastiches of hand-painted laces, tulles, netting and embroideries.

But life isn’t lived underwater, or after dark only. The Mulleavys showed an affinity for daywear their way: lovely ruffle-collared blouses that looked plenty sexy atop skintight jeans. They developed outerwear as well, which they envisioned on a girl standing on the pier watching the water. These came in sturdy olive canvas with wide netting on the sleeves, as if some chic flotsam had washed ashore on a wave of inventive practicality.

 

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear FW2014

Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s fall collection was about nostalgia for their childhood. Their fall lineup was softer, prettier and generally more palatable. Yet it was not a return to the ethereal romance and couture-like creations of their early days.

A series of fluttery chiffon styles — dresses and a jumpsuit — with smocked bodices studded with crystals could have shimmied across the party deck of the Love Boat. They came in orange, brown, mustard and chalky pastels, setting the Seventies tone in terms of color scheme and style. Deep red paper-bag pants were worn with a gray turtleneck and a crocheted sweater.
Turtlenecks were everywhere — solids and clingy mélange knits that were layered under off-the-shoulder sweaters, dresses, long lace gowns and tailored glitter jackets with shearling collars.

The finale featured five asymmetric draped silk charmeuse gowns printed with imagery from the designers’ favorite movie trilogy: Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Yoda.

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2014

Like with their fall collection Kate and Laura Mulleavy used the city of Los Angeles (where their roots are) as a theme for spring summer. A very wide source of inspiration, open to many different interpretations. The style indeed was very L.A. but even in L.A. terms the designs appeared like they were trying just a little too hard. The coolness of a cap (worn backwards), a checked shirt, dungarees and denim shorts, which are big trend items right now, kind of disapeared by the overkill of it. cheap viagra professional Worn all together with leopard prints, bare bellies, extra studs and locks as earrings, it was a bit much, even for a catwalk show. Now there’s no doubt women in their early twenties will be able to find a look of their choice, but that can’t possibly be all of the Mulleavy’s target group. Let’s just hope for some of the tuxedo jackets to find their way to the red carpet within a few months.

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear New York FW2013

The fall-collection of Rodarte was inspired by the West Coast, especially Santa Cruz – the town in which the sisters grew up. For decades this town has been an epicenter for surf and skate culture, which was the genesis of the collection. A progression from chic street to high boardwalk began with a series of black and nude looks, with oversized suede trenchcoats,  tight bodysuits and black cropped low pants. Dreamy moments came in neutrals — like the silk jumpsuit with a sheer tulle back embroidered with angel wings.
Then it was onto the trippy side with tie-dye for evening in fluid, colorful silk gowns, some topped with angular “foam” collars in white, black or nude, others merged tie-dye skirts with crimson, rose-embroidered tulle. The show ended with a parade of acid wash, whether as real denim or filmy printed silks.

 

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2013

The Rodarte-collection was all about medieval and fantasy role-playing games. It seemed a statement in power-dressing, the show referenced armored warriors, road warriors and also……. Nicolas Ghesquière. Short, strapless dresses shown layered over tight, printed turtlenecks had bodices shaped like partial octagons that jutted away from the body like a breastplate. Other variations on the armor motif included waistlines embellished with draped chains and corsetlike metal embroidery on long, fluid gowns. Also: bohemian bikers in robust black leather, including lace-up pants and quilted jackets with ample fringe and colorful silk trim.

The dominant silhouettes — short, structured dresses; boxy tops worn with skinny pants — and colors — teal, black, orange — are commonly associated with the term “futuristic,” especially with matching shoes. Yet the mix of materials and construction suggested a lot of handwork and gave the look an artisanal touch.

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2012

This season the Mulleavy-sisters of Rodarte turned to Australia and its natives for inspiration. The result was a very feminin collection, with references to the red-earth of this continent, Aboriginal art, sheep and British heritage like fishermens coats and sweaters. There were leather jackets lined with shearling, chunky, cropped  sweaters, and a rust-colored skirt-suit. Native influences peeked through in some of their dresses, like a floor-length dress with  ruffles that mixed an aboriginal print with a lace collar.  Some dresses had a boxier, relaxed cut with sloped shoulders, dolman sleeves, and exaggeratedly ladylike Victorian collars, while others in black and white leather were lean and strong.

New were  the accessories, including star brooches buried in the models’ hair, and the debut of their own shoes, many with buckles and straps and lucite heels filled with sand.

 

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

That was a beautiful, colorful and romantic collection Rodarte sent out yesterday. Part Sleeping Beauty part Vincent van Gogh. The artists’ color palette and paintings with sunflowers, cherryblossoms and starry night inspired the Rodarte sisters. They explained to the press that they fell for the greens and purples of the 1959 animated Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, and asked themselves who else uses colors like that. They found their answer in the Dutch postimpressionist painter. It was all the more unexpected for the fact that those Van Gogh prints can turn out into something kitchy.

The Mulleavy sisters have flirted with kitsch before, but here the effect was often hypnotic. The clothes were a mesmerizing concoction of color, construction and fantastical gowns. No matter how voluminous or seemingly simple, every look was boned for precise fit and structure.

Van Gogh’s colors are powerful, and not just his purples and greens, but also the blues and yellows. But the fifties prom dress silhouettes—nipped at the waist, with focus at the shoulders and the flaring hems—seemed so resolutely in the past. Young women might like it and wear it, but will grown up women pay more than 4000 for a dress like that? Yet there was also plenty of downright approachable designs — tapered, cropped, pants; tiered georgette skirts and fantastic color-blocked hand-knit cable sweaters.

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