Rodarte - Spring/Summer 2011

After more than 10 seasons spent honoring their "macabre-poetic-designer" fantasies, the Mulleavy sisters seem to have decided to take off in a slightly more commercial direction. That being said, if the trash references and convoluted knits have disappeared, this does not necessarily mean that Rodarte is declining in creativity.

The word on the street is that Rodarte is on LVMH's wish list. Presumably, their spring/summer show was closely observed by the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy decision makers. Surely aware of the group's intentions, the Mulleavys have thus chosen to prove their ability to offer a wardrobe that is visually strong yet wearable.

In order to do so, they quickly put aside their taste for ethereal combinations encrusted with luxurious bits of cloth in favor of more structured looks mixing and matching materials more legible than usual. At the same time, their sources of inspiration were more politically correct: here, for example, there were no references to the victims of Juarez.

This season, their collection makes references to giant redwoods and antique porcelain dishware. The plant colors - going from tree bark brown to light leaf green - permeated a number of looks, whereas the prints brought to mind ancient tree trunks. To these were added graphic details like those on timeless, blue-tinted porcelain, thus creating a clever mix between nature and sophistication.

Also, in order to become more wearable, the Mulleavy sisters worked volumes that were structured with clean lines that they mixed on the catwalk with draped pieces in such a way as to give them an ultra strong aura. Once in the boutiques, separated and looked over one by one, these chiseled, pleated or hollowed out pieces will prove to be more consumable than ever before.

In the end, if it is true that certain pieces seem less complex than usual, the harmonious collages of materials and motifs that the designers have chosen succeed nevertheless in offering to the whole an obvious prettiness. It remains to be seen if it will convince LVMH...

As for us, although we can appreciate Rodarte's ability to evolve, the evanescence of their preceding creations leave us, despite everything, a bit nostalgic...

Click here to view the entire collection:
http://www.style.com/S2011RTW-RODARTE?viewall=true