Rodarte S/S 10 New York

[*ana*]

oh my, the shoes are insane! i like them.

 

[Lee-Sarah]

a lot of cutouts and fringes.

the spider web effect that's put onto the model's head is beautiful. and the tattoos put the clothes in a different perspective.

 

[FashionFollower]

I'm getting a F/W vibe then S/S, which is pretty dissapointing, and I feel like they're doing the same thing over and over lately. Just because you get a good review on one show doesn't mean you should reproduce the same collection over and over. Overall, very underwhelming.

 

[chloehandbags]

I don't get Rodarte and I doubt I ever will; unless their aesthetic changes dramatically.

It just looks like rags and/or yarn stapled randomly together, to me.

It's not exactly ugly and in fact, it can be quite pretty, but it just doesn't feel sufficiently real.

 

[chloehandbags]

lol, looks like there's a difference of opinion. some people like "pretty" clothes and some people appreciate the beauty of a concept and workmanship that is at the heart of Rodarte. although I love wearable clothes, it gets very boring a lot of the times, especially with this season. I appreciate rodarte's freshness and vision.

With respect, I think this is a rather arrogant attitude, TBH - just because someone doesn't appreciate rags and yarns wrought into a piece of 'clothing' (however skillfully, in your opinion) doesn't have to mean they only like "pretty" clothes, does it?

Anyway, I think Rodarte collections are often pretty, so you'd think, if prettiness was the issue here, the member you are referring to would like them?

 

[cecil]

im sorry wasnt THIS done already? say last season? when everyone adored it , me included? same thing but diff. color scheme - thats what i c.

Agree. They seem to keep repeating the same silhouettes. I used to think they were genius but i hope they start exploring newer territories.

 

[Zazie]

Zazie, your posts have been amazing throughout...

The atmosphere and the tribal tattoos were definitely used to detract from the repetitive nature of the works. If the Mulleavy's were pushing a look that wasn't as arresting as this collage aesthetic, people would have been fed up a long time ago. The fact that this aesthetic is so 'of the moment' but still very personal and sincere in terms of detail and rawness, means the Mulleavy's will get a pass for many seasons to come. I can literally hear the fear circling in their minds in regards to the idea of progressing. One wrong move can send all the 'right' people in the opposite direction. I feel that they've lost their desire to grow and mature as designers. In my mind, 'progressing' is not one in the same with stripping one of their identity and personal truths. It's more or less expanding upon a thought and giving it the strength to grow while still staying true to what is at the core - their passions and beliefs.

It is very hard to be subjective when an aesthetic appeals greatly to your own ideals of beauty, but it is necessary to do so in order to avoid banality and stagnation. Looking at other young talents like Helena Horstedt and Sandra Backlund, for instance, who like the Mulleavy sisters have very distinct aesthetics/ideals, but they still somehow manage to progress, refine, and build upon those very ideals. All while making them even more prolific and inspired than they were the first time around. And with less media-exposure, too.

Media-exposure is not a bad thing. It's great actually, but it must not dictate your actions or the course of the work. I feel that that is the case here but it is understandable in times like these.

Wow.. you really described their psyche, and I can understand how the pressure of the acclaim and success can bring about circling fear and paralysis. And their desire to please their fans and the press would likely result in their staying with the same methods, for all the looks in every collection, why ruin a good thing? Otoh, we won't find out in the near future what they're really about, a one-trick pony as mentioned by ultramarine, or a dark horse. Trapped in their own success...

I mentioned Kane as the other designer who doesn't feel "authentic", and poor guy, he tried *not* to repeat his most popular methods and the depth (or lack thereof) of his design talent is showing. It would have been much better for Kane to have delivered another over-embellished "best of" collection or some other "it" prints and of course lots of studs, rivets, zips and all manners of hardware. Rodarte may be more savvy in going about this after all.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

'Trapped in their own success' is the best way to put. Construct issues aside, I do think the Mulleavy sisters are great designers. They have ideas and seem to truly view fashion from an aesthetic pt. of view rather than one of monetary gain alone. Unfortunately, they haven't quite learned how to focus or refine these ideas. It's very all or nothing with them, which, in turn, adds to the personal/raw nature of their work.

I'm hoping they will pull themselves out of this rut and still manage to keep the acclaim/glory, etc. You can certainly have both. Rei is a good example of this.

 

[redhotfuss]

i just died.

 

[Party_Vixen]

Those shoes are a weapon! They look like they came straight out of a sci-fi film.