HAPPY thoughts with Rodarte

"Clothing that fits perfectly does every woman justice."

"Fashion is our life," says the American designer Kate Mulleavy (b. 1979) of Rodarte. However, she and her sister Laura (b. 1981) only opted for a career in fashion after studying English (Laura) and Art History (Kate) at the University of California at Berkeley. The first Rodarte collection was presented in 2005 during the New York Fashion Week and was awarded the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for a series of cocktail-like dresses with a subtle vintage touch that same year. The sisters achieved immediate fame after one of their dreamy dresses appeared on the cover of Women’s Wear Daily, a fashion trade journal. Since Anna Wintour of American Vogue invited these young women to present their 10-part collection of elaborate couture, New York’s entire fashion scene understood what Rodarte stands for. In no time, the refined, sculptural creations of Rodarte (the maiden name of the duo’s mother) were sold in retail valhallas such as Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and Browns in London. The cult star Dita Von Teese, actress Cate Blanchett and top model Karen Elson are just some of Rodarte’s high-profile fans.

In 2007, Arnhem Mode Biennale asked the sisters what makes them HAPPY:

What makes you happy?
Kate: John Cage, Walter De Maria, The Smiths, orchids, cola light, J.D. Salinger.
Laura: White gumdrops, James Joyce, Patti Smith, Snow White, Metropolitan, violets.

2.Which piece of clothing makes you the happiest?
Kate: Jeans.
Laura: Grey T-shirts.

1. Things you can’t live without:
   Kate: Sonic Youth concerts, San Francisco, white Converse gym shoes.
   Laura: Espresso, sequoia trees and wave pools.

2. Why are you crazy about fashion?
   Kate: Fashion is the lens through which I see the world; it is a continuous spectrum that is always alive and fascinating.
   Laura: It inspires, it can be breathtakingly beautiful. It’s emotional. It’s a process.

3. What was the message of your most recent show?
   Both: Fall ’07 is an investigation into ‘ghostly’ women. The collection’s point of departure was an article in the newspaper about the history of the Mona Lisa and the secret layers in that painting. We became obsessed with Da Vinci’s sfumato technique, using various layers of colour to evoke a semblance of depth. The key to achieving this effect was mysterious women dressed in white.

4. Can fashion make the world a better place?
   Kate: Of course. Fashion inspires. It adds something extra to your life.
   Laura: I don't know.

5. What’s the status of fashion today?
   Both: Fashion takes over everything.

6. What’s your happiest moment so far?
   Kate: Johnson Hartig’s Christmas party.
   Laura: Growing up in Muir Woods, surrounded by the most insignificant and marvellous organisms. Fields of mustard, apple trees, ranches, running past eucalyptus trees and along white beaches. Northern California is breathtaking.

7. What is the colour of happiness?
   Both: Bright pink, white, black.

8. What’s your wish for the future?
   Both: Designing haute couture.

http://www.rodarte.net/