Mentor Profile - Rodarte

Above: Image from Rodarte’s Fall 2008 collection.

Rodarte is a womenswear label which was established in 2005 by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. ‘When asked ‘What exactly is the Rodarte aesthetic? They replied: ‘Beautiful, but also smart and thought-provoking. And we like clouds. Like when a lot of fabric ends up weighing nothing. We did this one dress that had thirty metres of silk tulle, but it was practically weightless. Sometimes we’ll use twenty fabrics in a single dress.’ I find this concept to be very inspiring. Rodarte gowns often consist of many layers of light-weight cloth which give them incredible movement and fluidity, both of which are key components I want to achieve in my own collection. There is a melodious feel about their collections and this is highlighted by Interview Magazine where it is written ‘poetry...has become the touchstone of their work.’ (2012)

Rodarte has made a very well respected name for itself as a result of the Mulleavy sisters’ attention to detail and the great care taken in the construction of each garment. This is evidenced by Art Critic John Kelsey who writes that ‘Kate and Laura, who live and work between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, California, have consistently brought their love of nature, film, art and science to bear upon their unconventional and exquisitely crafted collections.’ (Kelsey 2011) Writer Gestaldo concurs, stating that ‘Rodarte...has become synonymous with handcrafted, authentic, extremely well-made clothes’ (2009). This attention to detail and craftsmanship is one reason I look to Rodarte as a mentor.

Another primary reason I find Rodarte so inspirational is the way in which the Mulleavy sisters look to nature when researching and designing their collections which frequently depict aspects of landscapes. Alongside their devotion to natural inspiration lies their constant muse who also interacts heavily with her natural surroundings. Fashion Journalist Mark Holgate writes of an interview with the sisters ‘”We were once asked,” recalls Laura, “’where do you imagine your clothes being worn?’ And we said that we have this fantasy of a woman living in a log cabin in the woods, and she leaves one of our dresses on a chair, and it gets bleached in the sun.”’ (Holgate 2005) My own muse is similar – an ethereal, innately feminine woman who is very much in touch with her surroundings. A certain purity exists between her and nature, and she revels in the incredible freedom it affords her. Rodarte collections tell such unmistakable stories and I hope that my own collection will do the same. For example, the story behind Rodarte’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection was explored through a fashion film featuring Elle Fanning. It was entitled ‘The Curve of Forgotten Things’ and is very clear and evocative, characteristics I hope my own collection will attain.

Unusual and unexpected fabrication combinations are another innately Rodarte characteristic. Art Critic Yablonsky writes of how the ‘designs of leather, chiffon, wool and lace strips that bind, wrap, fall off or disappear in the body. All look difficult to put on without assistance and are definitely aimed at the connoisseur, not the shopaholic.’ I find this inspirational because, in terms of my own collection, I am looking to generate garments from unorthodox fabric combinations. I also hope to create garments which are really unique – most suited to ‘the connoisseur, not the shopaholic.’

While Rodarte gowns are often considered to be exquisitely romantic and beautiful, they also possess a certain deconstructionist aesthetic. This is another reason I look to this particular label as a mentor. For my own collection I hope to create some exquisite gowns, however, I want these gowns to look worn and give hints to the early life of my muse prior to her transformation. The deconstructionist elements of Rodarte gowns serve to make them even more beautiful and to give them a much greater depth of character which I can really appreciate.

Thus, I look to Rodarte for inspiration as the collections produced by this fashion house exemplify the worn, romantic and ethereal aesthetic I aspire to generate in my own design work. The level of craftsmanship, creativity and innovation is so high that looking to Rodarte will always cause me to be aiming higher, and this can only be deemed a good thing.

Reference List

2007, Supernova: Hint seeks out rising stars of design, Hint Fashion Magazine, New York, viewed 19/03/2012, < http://www.hintmag.com/supernova/supernova_rodarte1.php>

2011, Elle Fanning – Rodarte: The Curve of Forgotten Things, video podcast, youtube, viewed 22/03/2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7TJjjZ9yGw>

2012, Fashion: Rodarte, Interview Magazine, viewed 21/03/2012, < http://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/rodarte-natalie-portman/#_>

2012, Rodarte Label Overview, New York Magazine, New York, viewed 20/03/2012, <http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/rodarte/>

Durham, A., 2011, Reviewing Rodarte: Topographies of Collaborative Thinking, Critical Digital Humanities, viewed 27/03/2012, <http://cdh.ucr.edu/2011/09/08/reviewing-rodarte-topgraphies-of-collaborative-thinking/>

Gestaldo, E., 2009, Rodarte deal with Target a mistake, Newser, viewed 21/03/2012, < http://www.newser.com/story/75977/rodarte-deal-with-target-a-mistake.html>

Holgate, M., 2005, ‘Fashion: View: The Young Americans Rodarte: It’s the X Factor’, Vogue, Vol. 195, No. 12, pp. 200-202.

Kelsey, J., 2011, Rodarte, JRP Ringier Kunstverlag AG, Zurich.

Wilson, E., 2011, At Rodarte, a Van Gogh Exhibition, The New York Times, New York, viewed 23/03/2012, <http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/at-rodarte-a-van-gogh-exhibition/>

Yablonsky, L., 2011, Close Encounters: The Art and Fashion Cachet, Artnet, New York, Viewed 23/03/2012, <http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/books/yablonsky/rodarte-catherine-opie-alec-soth-9-19-11.asp>