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Rodarte’s design team, sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy.
Photo By Thomas Iannaccone
Launch Slideshow 3 images
Silk georgette and satin crepe dress and silk satin dress with feather strap details.
Photo By: WWD Staff
Launch Slideshow 3 images
NEW YORK — As Irving Berlin once wrote, “Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters.” Like any pair that spends a little too much time together, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sibling designers behind the new line Rodarte, finish each other’s sentences. “We can’t believe this is happening,” say the Pasadena, Calif., natives — in chorus — of the past two weeks that they’ve spent in New York, showing their collection to top editors and buyers.
For them, Rodarte (their mother’s maiden name) offers a tiny yet oh-so-chic capsule of seven satin dresses and three tailored coats — just the combination that should be the foundation of any girl’s wardrobe, the Mulleavys believe. “We wanted to do something small and concentrated,” says Kate, who turns 26 on Feb. 11. “Something bohemian and sophisticated.”
The two have little straightforward fashion training. Both graduated from the University of California at Berkeley: Kate, with a degree in art history, and Laura, 24, with a degree in English literature. “But we always knew we wanted to do fashion,” Kate says. “When I was five, I would draw dress after dress….”
“And her designs were crazy,” Laura interrupts. “Like Bob Mackie insane.”
After graduation, the sisters moved back in with their parents and started scouring design-school Web sites, looking through course syllabi to find fashion books to read. From there, with the help of two seamstresses and a patternmaker — neither sister can sew well — they started work on the line.
“This is our Catherine Deneuve dress,” Laura says, showing off the pintucked details on the bodice of a little black dress. Indeed, the sisters have a style icon for every one of their pieces. The fluid rust-colored frock, featuring peacock feathers laced into the black ribbon trim, would be perfect for Natalie Portman, they think. The black wool coat, with blousy sleeves like those of a graduation robe, could work for Grace Coddington. Most of the dresses, all done in Italian silk and wool crepe, feature exposed pinked seams that add a bit of detail without getting too tricky. To wit, it’s the small details — the lone giant pocket on a tailored, matka silk trench — that anchor the collection. Wholesale prices run from $1,200 to $1,600.
For them, Rodarte (their mother’s maiden name) offers a tiny yet oh-so-chic capsule of seven satin dresses and three tailored coats — just the combination that should be the foundation of any girl’s wardrobe, the Mulleavys believe. “We wanted to do something small and concentrated,” says Kate, who turns 26 on Feb. 11. “Something bohemian and sophisticated.”
The two have little straightforward fashion training. Both graduated from the University of California at Berkeley: Kate, with a degree in art history, and Laura, 24, with a degree in English literature. “But we always knew we wanted to do fashion,” Kate says. “When I was five, I would draw dress after dress….”
“And her designs were crazy,” Laura interrupts. “Like Bob Mackie insane.”
After graduation, the sisters moved back in with their parents and started scouring design-school Web sites, looking through course syllabi to find fashion books to read. From there, with the help of two seamstresses and a patternmaker — neither sister can sew well — they started work on the line.
“This is our Catherine Deneuve dress,” Laura says, showing off the pintucked details on the bodice of a little black dress. Indeed, the sisters have a style icon for every one of their pieces. The fluid rust-colored frock, featuring peacock feathers laced into the black ribbon trim, would be perfect for Natalie Portman, they think. The black wool coat, with blousy sleeves like those of a graduation robe, could work for Grace Coddington. Most of the dresses, all done in Italian silk and wool crepe, feature exposed pinked seams that add a bit of detail without getting too tricky. To wit, it’s the small details — the lone giant pocket on a tailored, matka silk trench — that anchor the collection. Wholesale prices run from $1,200 to $1,600.
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