Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Rodarte Takes on the Art of Ballet in Black Swan
As 2011 kicks off, I eagerly wait to see one movie: Black Swan. Intrigued by all forms of art, I knew that this film on ballet was one that I had to see. Revealing the darker and hidden controversies surrounding ballet, Darren Aronofsky, the film’s director, brings to life the anorexia, high-stake competition, and extreme exhaustion that many ballet dancers face. Although I look forward to viewing the sinister, adrenaline rushing thriller itself, starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, I am especially intrigued by the immaculate costumes designed by Rodarte.
Who is Rodarte?
For those who are unfamiliar with the fashion world, Rodarte is a fashion label designed by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Unlike many power house fashion designers, the Mulleavy sisters didn’t receive any formal education in fashion. Attending the University of California, Berkeley, Kate and Laura centralized their studies in art history and English lit, respectively. This just goes to show that there is no one way to make it into the fashion world: everyone has their own path. The thing that impresses me the most about the Mulleavy sisters is how they prepared for their future careers. Skipping out on fashion design schools such as F.I.T and Parsons, they instead read books about couture sewing and closely viewed horror films. Ha! Who says design school is necessary?
When it came time to showcase their first ten-piece collection (Spring 2005), the Mulleavy sisters took a leap of faith. After numerous calls to big department stores such as Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman, they received appointments for their collection to be viewed. When success comes, it arrives in a whirlwind. As the sisters were showing their collections to various buyers in the city, Women’s Wear Daily ran a cover story on their new line. Since then, the Mulleavys have received the 2008 CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer award and the 2008 Swiss Textiles Award. Not too shabby! Tenacity, hard work, and perseverance are what got the sisters behind Rodarte where they are today. Lesson to be learned: don’t ever give up; if it’s meant to be, you will find a way to make it work!
With a vast knowledge in a hodgepodge of interests ranging from French photography to Italian art, the Mulleavy sisters don’t limit themselves to one way of thinking. Having constant sources of inspiration ultimately provides them with a foundation for looking at things. Deriving ideas for their runway collections from travel, art, architecture, iconic trendsetters, old films, and nature, designers (Kate and Laura included) prove that inspiration can found everywhere. Fashion is an all-encompassing art that takes everything into account.
Breathtaking Costumes for Black Swan
An art form as beautiful as ballet deserves costumes that are just as thoughtful. Known for their gothic designs, Rodarte is the quintessential match for Black Swan. With their knowledge of horror films and all things gory, who better to contact than the Mulleavy sisters? To accurately depict the twisted and menacing ballet Aronofsky envisioned for his film, the costumes had to exude a comparable amount of edginess. In designing the costume of Prince Siegfried, the Mulleavy sisters had a mechanical bird in mind. Using floral embroideries and materials such as velvet and angora wool, the Mulleavy sisters were quite successful. Viewing some of the Mulleavy’s sketches, I find the ballet uniforms to be painstakingly beautiful and incredibly fashion-forward. Because of the sister’s immense talent as designers, their level of success in conveying each character’s personality and role doesn’t surprise me. I am interested, however, in how they were able to create costumes that were both functional and beautiful. That’s a mighty task! Taking into account the actors and actresses’ movement within the costumes in the dance sequences, slippage of some sort would seem inevitable. Right? If the Mulleavys can successfully design garments as romantic and ornate as the ones seen in Black Swan, they can accomplish anything.
Friends with the Mulleavy sisters, Natalie Portman is no stranger to wearing their fresh and innovative designs on the red carpet.
"I remember seeing a dress of theirs at a photo shoot, and just going, 'What is that?' I don't have that reaction to clothes very often. It is not something that I really pay attention to that much. But it was just so beautiful. When we were doing this film, I just knew how balletic their clothes were."
- Natalie Portman
Who is Rodarte?
For those who are unfamiliar with the fashion world, Rodarte is a fashion label designed by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Unlike many power house fashion designers, the Mulleavy sisters didn’t receive any formal education in fashion. Attending the University of California, Berkeley, Kate and Laura centralized their studies in art history and English lit, respectively. This just goes to show that there is no one way to make it into the fashion world: everyone has their own path. The thing that impresses me the most about the Mulleavy sisters is how they prepared for their future careers. Skipping out on fashion design schools such as F.I.T and Parsons, they instead read books about couture sewing and closely viewed horror films. Ha! Who says design school is necessary?
When it came time to showcase their first ten-piece collection (Spring 2005), the Mulleavy sisters took a leap of faith. After numerous calls to big department stores such as Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman, they received appointments for their collection to be viewed. When success comes, it arrives in a whirlwind. As the sisters were showing their collections to various buyers in the city, Women’s Wear Daily ran a cover story on their new line. Since then, the Mulleavys have received the 2008 CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer award and the 2008 Swiss Textiles Award. Not too shabby! Tenacity, hard work, and perseverance are what got the sisters behind Rodarte where they are today. Lesson to be learned: don’t ever give up; if it’s meant to be, you will find a way to make it work!
With a vast knowledge in a hodgepodge of interests ranging from French photography to Italian art, the Mulleavy sisters don’t limit themselves to one way of thinking. Having constant sources of inspiration ultimately provides them with a foundation for looking at things. Deriving ideas for their runway collections from travel, art, architecture, iconic trendsetters, old films, and nature, designers (Kate and Laura included) prove that inspiration can found everywhere. Fashion is an all-encompassing art that takes everything into account.
Breathtaking Costumes for Black Swan
An art form as beautiful as ballet deserves costumes that are just as thoughtful. Known for their gothic designs, Rodarte is the quintessential match for Black Swan. With their knowledge of horror films and all things gory, who better to contact than the Mulleavy sisters? To accurately depict the twisted and menacing ballet Aronofsky envisioned for his film, the costumes had to exude a comparable amount of edginess. In designing the costume of Prince Siegfried, the Mulleavy sisters had a mechanical bird in mind. Using floral embroideries and materials such as velvet and angora wool, the Mulleavy sisters were quite successful. Viewing some of the Mulleavy’s sketches, I find the ballet uniforms to be painstakingly beautiful and incredibly fashion-forward. Because of the sister’s immense talent as designers, their level of success in conveying each character’s personality and role doesn’t surprise me. I am interested, however, in how they were able to create costumes that were both functional and beautiful. That’s a mighty task! Taking into account the actors and actresses’ movement within the costumes in the dance sequences, slippage of some sort would seem inevitable. Right? If the Mulleavys can successfully design garments as romantic and ornate as the ones seen in Black Swan, they can accomplish anything.
Friends with the Mulleavy sisters, Natalie Portman is no stranger to wearing their fresh and innovative designs on the red carpet.
"I remember seeing a dress of theirs at a photo shoot, and just going, 'What is that?' I don't have that reaction to clothes very often. It is not something that I really pay attention to that much. But it was just so beautiful. When we were doing this film, I just knew how balletic their clothes were."
- Natalie Portman
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