Every season Kate and Laura Mulleavy blow me away with their insane creativity. I don’t like to blog very much about Fashion Week while it’s happening because I figure all of you are up on the latest buzz, have seen all the shows, and have formed your own opinions. But Arlene and I do always feel compelled to comment on the shows and designers that move us. To this end I always find myself posting about Rodarte.

When the very first Rodarte collection hit stores, Arlene and I were working for a boutique that had bought 3 dresses from the line. I remember the day the box arrived (it’s always a little bit like Christmas or your birthday when UPS drops off a box of new merchandise!) and I remember — very vividly — all of us oohing and aahing over the 3 pieces that emerged: 3 silk dresses, one in black, one in a peacock blue, and one in a sort of pumpkin hue, all hand-adorned with feathers.

The fabric, the design, and the workmanship were obvious from the beginning. These are 2 women who are not afraid to take a risk and put themselves out there and I, for one, am SO glad that they just keep doing what they do — feminine and sexy with a major rock-and-roll edge.

And can we talk about that styling??? When they found their inspiration in the California wildfires, they just went ALL. THE. WAY. The smoke, the slicked back hair, the vamp lips and nails, the tribal tattoos… hot, hot, HOT (no pun intended :-))

all runway images via style.com

The news is out: Rodarte will be designing a collection for Target’s Go International series, scheduled to hit stores on December 20th. There has been an awful lot of discussion about mass-market designer collaborations and how the items never live up to the designers’ higher-priced collections. Well, DUH. In order to make clothes less expensive, the materials have to be less expensive — and less expensive fabrics just don’t drape or hang as well. However, I do believe that there is some great design to be found. I, for one, have a number of pieces in my wardrobe that have come from various designer collaborations. A few of my faves: a Stella McCartney for H & M parka (still in great shape, actually), a Thakoon for The Gap white cotton tunic (that I live in), and my ultimate fave, a ball skirt from Alexander McQueen for Target (with a crinoline — it’s a lot of design for the money).

I don’t expect to walk into Target and find an affordable — and good-looking — version of those sick thigh-high boots from Fall09…

…but I do very much expect to get my hands on a rockin’ pair of knee-highs — shredded the way only the Mulleavy sisters could do it.

Manage your expectations and you just might find some cheap treasures to mix with your pricier ones!

Rodarte runway images from Style.com, Rodarte product image from Opening Ceremony, Stella McCartney parka image from iamfashion, and McQ image from Nitrolicious. 

Those Mulleavy sisters. I don’t know how they do it, but they just keep taking my breath away.  Was just surfing on WWD and saw the collection for Fall.  Don’t even know what to say, except HOW CAN I GET MY HANDS ON A PAIR OF THOSE BOOTS?!

All photos courtesy of WWD.com.

It’s funny that we never talk about shoes because they are truly an all-consuming obsession with us. A beautiful shoe is like a work of art. The first pair of designer shoes I bought were a pair of Christian Louboutins from his trash series. They’re mules and I can’t wear them, but I will happily put them in a lucite box and hang them on my wall. A designer that we’ve been watching lately is Brit Nicholas Kirkwood. While his pieces appear to be art first and footwear second, he is a master of construction. Regardless of that infamous fall at Rodarte, I contend that his shoes are sturdy, wearable, and utterly fabulous.

The infamous Rodarte shoes

I do love a hot pink shoe!