RODARTE
BRAND AND FASHION DESIGNER , R
RODARTE HAS A VERY FEMININE STYLE ENRICHED WITH GOTHIC AND PUNK DETAILS IN A MIX OF FINE EXTRAVAGANCE
ORIGINS
Rodarte fashion line was founded in 2005 by the sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Kate and Laura were born in 1979 and 1980 respectively in California, USA. They were raised near Santa Cruz by their mother, Victoria Rodart, and by their father William Perry Mulleavy. Both attended the University of Berkley and graduated. Laura studies modern literature while Kate graduated in art history.
Back home in 2001, the two sisters initially dedicated themselves to sporadic chores. Kate sold her vintage vinyl collection online while Laura worked as a waitress. The funds raised from these first jobs ($ 16,500) became the start-up capital of their clothing line. The Mulleavy girls drew the sketches on a kitchen table and learned to sew with the help of their mother. They dedicated the brand’s name to her, her maiden name.
FIRST COLLECTION
In 2005 the two gave rise to the first collection: 10 handmade garments. Kate and Laura presented their dresses to Cameron Silver, owner of the famous vintage store in Los Angeles, Decades, to get an opinion. Impressed by the work of the two, Cameron gave them contacts and, in February, one of the Rodarte dresses appeared on the cover of Women’s Wear Daily. This is the Beginning of Success. Soon Anna Wintour noticed them and a few months later Mulleavy brought their dresses on the catwalks of New York Fashion Week. In an interview for the New Yorker, the sisters said: “When Anna Wintour saw the collection she said: ‘What you do is very personal, keep it up’. I think it’s the best advice we have ever received“.
Rodarte collection
SUCCESS
The brand’s growth was exponential. The first awards arrived including the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award in 2006, the Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer Award in 2008 and the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2009. When, in October 2008, Racher Weisz wore a Rodarte dress on the cover of Vogue US, the fate of the two sisters was definitively sealed. Since that episode many of the most celebrated stars have been wearing Rodarte. Among those there are Natalie Portman, Millie Bobby Brown, Kate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig, Kirsten Dunst and Brie Larson.
In 2010 the Rodarte collection, presented in September 2009, appeared at the top of the top ten on Vogue and Style.com. Several collaborations also began such as the 2009 one with Target, the creation of costumes for the Het National Ballet in 2010 and the one with the artist Brody Condon the following year.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
In addition to the always acclaimed high fashion collections, the Mulleavy sisters have also created some lines of different kinds in recent years. An example is the RADARTE line of t-shirts, sweatshirts and sports trousers sold online. The collection had a great success and was worn by many celebrities like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Will Ferrell, Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Watson. The same goes for the recent ROSARTE spin-off famous to the point of exceeding the revenues of the main collections.
After 14 years of success, an exhibition dedicated to the two sisters’ brand was inaugurated in 2019 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington to celebrate the career and creations of Kate and Laura Mulleavy.
THE STYLE
Over the years, the two stylists have always remained faithful to their distinctive and personal style. Ignoring the fashions of the moment, the sisters have created timeless collections characterized by materials of immense value. Their dresses with romantic lines are embellished with flowers, embroidery and ribbons, refined and dreamlike details that have made them unique. The very feminine style of Rodarte is enriched with gothic and punk details in a mix of fine extravagance.
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