Rodarte : Kate and Laura Mulleavy

[lucy92]

it was last weeks issue. run to the newsstand today if you want to read it. it might be gone tomorrow.

it wasnt totally flattering. the sisters seemed a bit out of it and spacey (at least the profile depicted them to be).

they talk about their target collection.

 

[Scott]

will have to check that out,thanks erin

 

[lucy92]

the New Yorker on their Target collection

"Too much of it—the slip dresses that recall thrift-store lingerie, the cheap mesh that channels Annie Potts’s prom dress in Pretty in Pink—looks like resale fare re-imagined: Goodwill for people who might not want to brave the wilds of Goodwill’s racks… And, of course, the clothes do not offer the intrinsic thrill of classic Rodarte: owning a piece of wearable art."
​

On their newest Runway Collection...

"But, creative as it all was, it was difficult to imagine any woman suiting up in tatters for a formal event, let alone a business function. Even for an unconventional occasion, the ragged clothes seemed too fragile for the thousands of dollars they would cost."


source: the new yorker via torontolife

​

 

[Erin]

Youch.

 

[gius]

I've often felt worried about how fragile their clothes seem to be..

 

[mikeijames]

rodarte expanding into mens...

it looks like the rodarte sisters have stepped into the world of menswear although at a price point of ~$3,000 for each sweater, it remains quite an exclusive buy for any fashion customer in this recession...

Rodarte Now Makes Man Sweaters! * 1/4/10 at 1:25 PM
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/01/rodarte_now_makes_man_sweaters.html

Opening Ceremony carries the first of Rodarte's men's offerings, a collection of sweaters they're labeling "Brodarte." Perfect for the man who wants to look like he plucked his sweater from a fiery car wreck on Bedford Avenue! Or the man who likes sheer tops that show his navel when he reaches across the bar for a peanut. If women prance around in see-through, lingerie-inspired clothes, men should also start leaving less to the imagination, and Rodarte sweaters are a good, expensive way to start. Besides, nothing's sure to make the ladies (or men) swoon like nipples showing through Rodarte.

Rodarte Enters Menswear with Four Spidery Sweaters [Racked]
By: Amy Odell Filed Under: men are the new women, brodarte, designers, opening ceremony, rodarte

Read more: Rodarte Now Makes Man Sweaters! -- The Cut http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/01/rodarte_now_makes_man_sweaters.html#ixzz0ciriC0U3

Photo: Courtesy of Opening Ceremony

(source:nymag.com)

 

[Scott]

honestly,even though the price is exorbitant compared with many,it's really no more than the women's. and finally!! i adore those knits and if i had the kind of disposable income to acquire just one...i would.

btw,what's with the condescending attitude of that writer? i am almost certain those are not aspects people will think about in wearing on of these pieces.

 

[Erin]

$3k for a sweater And they're kind of unattractive to me.

Yes, jacking up the price is a quick way to make items exclusive.

 

[Rightguard]

They need to move in a new direction because they are becoming more cliche by the moment and never in a f u c k i n g day should that sweater cost that much. I'm sure the Junya Watanabe knit they knocked off cost no where near this amount.

 

[eternitygoddess]

Lolz.

$3,000 for a knit sweater.

Lolz.

Brb, getting my ball of yarn and knitting needles.

 

[Scott]

They need to move in a new direction because they are becoming more cliche by the moment and never in a f u c k i n g day should that sweater cost that much. I'm sure the Junya Watanabe knit they knocked off cost no where near this amount.

actually,they were doing them about the same time. and it's not really a rip off when you consider others,even mere hobby knitters,have done the style before. it's not really one or the other's,it's really knitting technique.

i agree it's more expensive than most have and would price hand-knit jumpers and cardis but at the same time those types of knits aren't exactly cheap either.

eternity,it sounds good in theory but what you forget is that the yarn materials are higher-quality than one's average.

 

[eternitygoddess]

Brb, getting higher quality yarn.

 

[Spike413]

I never really understood why people consider Rodarte's knitwear to be so insane. Is it expensive? Most definitely. But let's keep things in perspective, we're talking about a handmade sweater by a high fashion label. Once you've seen a classic merino wool v-neck from Gucci with a price tag that hovers near the $1k mark, $3,000 for something you couldn't easily find in a million other stores doesn't seem so insane.

I love the blue/black one. I hope they have some metallic/lurexy yarns mixed in like the womens do.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^Certainly.

I don't know if people really realize that all of Rodarte's knitwear is hand knit. Hand knit. Additionally, each sweater contains at least 10 different yarns, so...yes, $3,000 is certainly expensive, but a lot of work goes into these knits...essentially they are couture peices, just like Rodarte dresses.

 

[Scott]

^exactly. and you know claire tough who is a superb knit-wear designer,handknits most of her pieces and they're usually all upwards of 1000-3000$ as well. look at demeulemeester for autumn,that beautiful cardigan she did for men was about 3000$ as well....you think that's extreme too? and just as you say,there are different mixtures in the yarn/material combinations and are higher-quality.

 

[ilaughead]

I've often felt worried about how fragile their clothes seem to be..

I've been wondering about that, too. Dior_couture, any insights?

 

[dior_couture1245]

I would say their clothes are delicate, but not fragile, persay. One would consider many of their pieces to be delicate since a majority of their dresses are constructed on a silk tulle base. But they're not so fragile that they'll fall apart with one wrong move! Certainly not. The knits, on the other hand are fragile. But that is the nature of them, since they are so loosely knitted.

For example, the Fall/Winter 2009 production pieces all feel very sturdy to me, especially the leather jackets, which are particularly beautiful in person (the grey jacket is really gorgeous).


On a side note, has anyone picked up and read the New Yorker article on Rodarte yet?

 

[Scott]

^and i think they made them that way perhaps so they can acquire more of a worn affect to them.

 

[mikeijames]

I never really understood why people consider Rodarte's knitwear to be so insane. Is it expensive? Most definitely. But let's keep things in perspective, we're talking about a handmade sweater by a high fashion label. Once you've seen a classic merino wool v-neck from Gucci with a price tag that hovers near the $1k mark, $3,000 for something you couldn't easily find in a million other stores doesn't seem so insane.

I love the blue/black one. I hope they have some metallic/lurexy yarns mixed in like the womens do.

while all very true: in a vacuum, three thousand dollars is a very high entry point for any designer item. it's not like there exist other items in the rodarte collection for men at a lower price....that's all i'm saying. even balmain has lower cost items for their mens. i'm not saying it's not worth it -- gucci and ysl sold those GREAT bulky cashmere sweaters some years ago that cost thousands -- it's just for the truly devoted fashion consumer

 

[JustABoy]

I just finished reading the New Yorker article (no scanner, sorry, but if my local library has a copy of the magazine yours might as well!). Its overall tone is indeed pretty negative, as if there were something fundamentally wrong with being a niche label that caters to a customer base of fewer than 1,000 women.

I'm of two minds about this; Rodarte is not for every woman, or indeed, for many women; but they aren't trying to be, and at the end of the day it seems silly to fault them for a business model that serves them and their customers well. If michael kors put out a collection like theirs, it'd be something different. But they're not trying to be the next michael kors, nor should they be obligated to. All told, I find such criticisms silly, since this model of business is doing exactly what it should be doing--i.e. keeping them financially afloat. I find their designs more accessible/appealing (and YOUNGER) than some noted courtiers today, and they probably sell more dresses than those courtiers, too.

The world is free to not get it--but it seems silly to keep making a big deal over not getting it. For instance, one reviewer they quote suggested that the sisters were "indulgent," as if working within a single paradigm was somehow a disservice to women. Why should rodarte expand its customer base, if what they are doing is celebrated both by fashion critics and the women they dress?

I don't see what's so bad about it, nor what's particularly novel at critics who repeat themselves as readily as the girls are said to.