>> INSIDER WIRE —Vera Wang had yet to start on her Fall 2009 collection as of a couple of days ago, but the same can't be said for the sisters Rodarte. So what are the first Americans to win the prestigious Swiss Textile Award currently thinking? "The other day we were on the highway and we saw a car that was half blue, half white. At the time, we happened to be in the middle of an argument about color, and that car kind of settled it, right there. Blue." They're also "obsessed with these colored gels, fills for cameras": "We’ll be looking at something like the gels, and maybe that generates an idea like, let’s do graphic color." [Style File]
*image: source
Kate Mulleavy
Thu, 12/18/08 — 04:58:14 PM
Fri, 11/14/08 — 05:27:27 PM
>> INSIDER WIRE —Speaking of awards, Rodarte won double honors — 100,000 euros for the Swiss Textiles Award, the first American designers to ever do so — last night. The prize, which Laura and Kate Mulleavy snatched over fellow nominees Richard Nicoll, Louise Goldin, and Jean-Pierre Braganza, is to be used to fund international development of the brand. Last year's winner was Marios Schwab. [Style File, WWD]
ACE Awards Go Green for Stella McCartney
Tue, 11/04/08 — 12:30:47 PM
>> At last night's annual Accessories Council ACE Awards, Nicholas Ghesquiere may have been awarded Designer of the Year, Sally Singer the Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism, and Tamara Mellon's Jimmy Choo the Brand of the Year, but Stella McCartney was awarded the most special treatment.
The designer, who was flanked by Helena Christensen, Coco Rocha, and Dean Koons and anointed with a new award, Green Designer of the Year, had her table completely set with salads while everyone else had "a decadent lobster plate." And out of respect for her vegan views, even her award — a Judith Leiber miaundiere — was made green, with a black hemp lining in leather's stead and no stainless steel plating. Such attention to detail kept Stella in a high mood — she joked as she accepted her award, "Little did I know that my award would be second to last and I would need to use the ladies' room after putting on my unitard outfit. But that's life!"
*image: source, source
13 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
Rodarte Spring 2009: Making It Big
Wed, 09/10/08 — 09:48:52 PM
>> When Natalie Portman comes to the show, Keira Knightley hits up the after party, and Anna Wintour brings Bee — who usually only goes to Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler — along, you know Rodarte is really starting to make it big. Even Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani, had a little trouble getting in — apparently, she tried to follow Anna and Bee through the velvet rope, but the PR staff wouldn't allow it.
Onto the clothes: They followed the same thought process as the Fall 2008 collection, but with a few key changes — the colors, the shoes (those treacherous shoes, made by Nicholas Kirkwood instead of Christian Louboutin this season), and the leggings, which were leather instead of knit, and although they looked laser cut, were entirely handmade. Some think the look veered into Balenciaga territory, but me? I'm just enjoying the view.
*image: source
35 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
Princess Donatella, Elbaz, Alber Elbaz, and More Live Out Their Fantasies for Harper's Bazaar September 2008
Wed, 08/27/08 — 10:26:18 AM
>> Designers spend an awful lot of time projecting their fantasies onto others, so the good people at Harper's Bazaar decided it was time to turn the tables for their September 2008 issue by asking ten designers to dress up as a fantasy character. How else would you know that Karl Lagerfeld loves rap, Alber Elbaz wants to produce a James Bond spinoff movie called "Jane Bomb," and Donatella Versace wants to wake up as a princess? Well, you might have guessed about that last one . . .
*image: source
9 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
What's Going on at Marchesa?
Tue, 07/29/08 — 05:20:19 PM
>> Along with the annual International Best-Dressed List, the September 2008 Vanity Fair features a spread dubbed "America's New Fashion Guard," featuring up-and-coming designers, including a few designing duos like Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte, Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava.
Marchesa was also spotlighted, but as Chic Report so astutely pointed out, only one half of the brand's designing duo is pictured: Georgina Chapman, with no Keren Craig in sight.
Interesting, in light of the rumors back in May suggesting that Keren was being phased out as a co-designer; the photographic evidence here definitely lends credence to that possibility. Or maybe, as Chic Report suggested, Keren was just on her honeymoon when the picture was taken.
*image: source
W Magazine Gets Into Bed with Daria, Kate, and Lara This July
Tue, 06/17/08 — 10:08:54 AM
>> It's out: This is the secret project Alexander Wang hinted at — but it's something much bigger than just a collaboration between Wang and Kate Moss. W magazine's July 2008 issue is devoted to fashion, and I mean that in the best possible way.
A Bruce Weber-lensed photo places Daria Werbowy, Kate Moss, and Lara Stone on the cover, and that mean troika is joined by Sasha Pivovarova and a whole cabal of up-and-coming designers — think Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Gareth Pugh, Danielle Scutt, Christophe Decarnin of Balmain, plus more — to cavort around for 36-page editorial shot in Miami.
Bruce Weber was the perfect choice to capture the high summer heat in action — favorite images include a portrait of Kate Moss with her father and sister (below), glasses-wearing Jeremy Laing being playfully bullied by a bevy of much tanner, much beefier male models, and Laura and Kate Mulleavy trying on vintage couture hats.
According to Danielle Scutt, she, Louise Goldin, Gareth Pugh, and Georgina Chapman got together during the shoot for a performance of George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90”:
Gareth was playing the washboard, Georgina had maracas, and me and Louise had tambourines. Some of us then went back to the hotel and jumped in the pool. When I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t find my trainers or jeans.
Another fun fact: Jason Wu, besides designing his eponymous line, is the creative director and partner of a $5 million company, Integrity Toys Inc., for whom he develops dolls.
Anyway, back to the good stuff — full editorial here (NSFW).
Despite a Death in the Family, the CFDA Awards March On
Mon, 06/02/08 — 11:05:38 PM
>> While the "fashion Oscars" are a time for celebration, this year, many attendees had another recent event on their minds — the recently deceased Yves Saint Laurent. In tribute, Diane von Furstenberg wore vintage YSL, Naomi Campbell donned Fall 2008 Saint Laurent, and Ashley Olsen riffed on Le Smoking in her Calvin Klein suit.
As expected, models and designers turned out in droves — Erin Wasson, still in leg cast, was by Alexander Wang's side, and Francisco Costa celebrated his Womenswear win by hugging Eva Mendes tight.
For more of the comings and goings, be sure to check out the gallery below.
*images: source
As expected, models and designers turned out in droves — Erin Wasson, still in leg cast, was by Alexander Wang's side, and Francisco Costa celebrated his Womenswear win by hugging Eva Mendes tight.
For more of the comings and goings, be sure to check out the gallery below.
*images: source
37 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
2008 CFDA Winners Announced, Francisco Costa Takes Womenswear Award
Mon, 06/02/08 — 06:34:37 PM
>> This evening, the 2008 winners of the highly influential CFDA Awards were named. Three-time Swarovski Award for Womenswear nominees Rodarte finally took home the statuette, and Tom Ford won out in the battle of the T(h)oms. I've denoted the full list of winners in bold — congrats all around!
WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Collection
Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler
Marc Jacobs
MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Michael Bastian
Thom Browne
Tom Ford
ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Michael Kors
Tory Burch
Marc Jacobs
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR
Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte
Thakoon Panichgul
Alexander Wang
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR
Patrik Ervell
Tim Hamilton
Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders
SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORY DESIGN
Philip Crangi
Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry
Joy Gryson
*images: source
dance of the sugar plum punk
Tue, 02/05/08 — 05:29:00 PM
>> At Rodarte, Laura and Kate Mulleavy riffed on "Japanese horror films" with agressively studded Louboutin shoes, deathly pale faces, and plenty of blood red.
I admit, before seeing Rodarte in motion — and in person — I was a little confused about the hype surrounding the label. But after seeing the loosely-woven tights, the angora dresses, the punky sugar plum fairies zig zag past, I am converted.
Not many designers can take two such contrasting looks — pretty, pretty princess and Sid Vicious — and make them mesh so well together. It was clear that the girls were still exploring a few elements from Spring: the Degas-esque tutu dresses, the studded shoes, the draped and pleated chiffon dresses, the metallic fitted pants; when I asked Kate about it, she told me they "were just trying to find [their] thing." But by no means were they mired in a past collection — and I look forward to seeing where the whimsical Mulleavy girls go from here.
*image: getty
