When asked to describe their impeccable Spring Summer 2014 Ready to Wear collection, the sisterly dream team Laura and Kate Mulleavy only had two words: Los Angeles. On first thought, perhaps that loose, vague "definition" strikes one as too brief or lacking precision. After viewing the collection, one realises that there really isn't a more succinct way to put it. Think Nasty Gal amped up thirteen notches, with provocative assymetrical hemlines, Cali-girl bra tops and the absolute best and boldest use of black and white this season has seen. Rodarte's darkly whimsical and unshakeable attention to artistic detail is given a facelift as the duo experiments with some of the most modern silhouettes their career has seen. Geometric clashes between spherical necklaces and grid-lined cropped sweaters add punch to an already bold statement, topped off with animal-print flat booties that nods to an existing albeit successful trend. Thick, metallic embellished belts hang loosely from slim waists, lending a slightly raunchy, "borrowed from the band-boys" look. And yet despite all the tassels and the vibrant prints and the surprisingly original silhouettes, some absolutely perfect classics can be witnessed; a simple white mink miniskirt and an equally pristine ivory blazer subtly interpose the loudness of Los Angeles.
If there was an award for how many different ways black and white could complement each other within the confines of each runway look, Rodarte would surely bag it. Mermaid-y assymmetrical hems flow organically beneath polished stripes, colorblocking, tiered texture, modern plaid, animal print, or a mix of all of the above. Triangular necklines become teardrops, which become pyramid-esque high necks which fall to drapey low v-necks. The combinations, and effortlessness with which they are exuded, are astounding. While I'm not a fan of the awkwardly sea-creature/lettuce resembling hems (I only said mermaid initially to be polite), the sharp precision of the patterns are executed without fault. With architectural design and print being this damn good, who even needs color?
And now ring in the separates; namely the bustier which is naturally every Californian chica's dream. While the shape of these cropped pieces are inventive and refreshing, they lack wearability as the pointy cups distort the appearance of shoulders and thus make the rest of us who aren't model-thin look a tad wonky. Nevertheless, I am 100000% in favor of these no-nonsense pointy toed shoes. They're a little like Tavi Gevinson: they know they're weird and unconventional and a bit out-there, but they're proud of it and hold their heads high and werk it (I am still talking about shoes fyi). Points awarded for the 1st and 3rd bustiers for edgy sex appeal (from left to right), points deducted for that satiny nightdress worn by Lindsey Wixson that seems to be missing the rest of its sleeves and skirt (might be biased by the fact that Lindsey isn't my fave but oh well).
Noooooow we're talking. The fact that no one's thought of filling a skirt slit with sexy tassels before worries me, because that might just be the best new revolutionary fashion idea this season has graced us with so far. Teamed with a sultry mesh underlay, scorpion motifs and delicate earrings, that 1st look is ah-mazing. The lack of tottering stilettos helps round out this collection as one with athletic, casual potential and flexibility - the models aren't overly made-up in rainbow eyes a la Chanel, and the way they pull off beautiful clothing in simple, rather generic-looking shoes brings Rodarte's previously untouchable kingdom of elegance down to a sexy and accessible level.
As the show progressed, hemlines sneaked higher and higher into a final culmination of a marginally more sophisticated reworking of the traditional booty-exposing daisy duke short. Do they look amazing on the models? Definitely. Are the designs and embellishments with regards to these shorts successful? Sure. Do I like the fact that they're teamed with equally revealing bustiers? No. Are these at all wearable? Probably not. A style statement for sure - but one that is hard to translate into daily wear (unless you're Cara Delevigne, Liu Wen, or possess the legs and the swagger of a "model-off-duty"). Either way, I'm too caught up in those gorgeous blazers, which douse the collection in sexy, carefree masculinity. Few things are more effortlessly chic than soft blazers with pushed-up sleeves, but that sleeveless leopard and leather piece on the far right is a tiny notch above its sleeved counterparts. But blazers are delicious however they are consumed: sleeved, oversized, boxy, embellished, etc.
So there you have it! What do you think of Rodarte's Spring Summer 2014 collection?
