NYFW: Rodarte Spring/Summer 2011

The rumors of Rodarte’s possible move to LVMH still hung in the air as Laura and Kate Mulleavy presented the Rodarte Spring/Summer 2011 show at New York Fashion Week. The sister design duo had decidedly ditched their previously gothic edge in favour of gold opulence for the Spring season. It was more commercial, and although it was a move away from what set Rodarte apart as a label in the beginning, it still had the sister’s stamp.

Chocolate browns and starchy gold fabrics played with tones of lime, navy and dove grey, for a mature, restricted colour palette. Although the collection was less conceptual, the designs were solid - stiff patterned fabrics were used on tailored trousers and tops and melded with floaty material for a juxtaposition of texture. The unique silhouette of each garment was one of the focal points - clearly where the two designers had focused their efforts this season, as well as the mixture of patterns which tied the collection further together.

This may have been more commercial, but the collection was none the less a triumph for the Mulleavy sisters, who are clearly working towards a new direction - but that’s what is exciting about those who are savviest at design - they can flourish at any task and make that direction change a successful one.