Rodarte

The Renaissance, Aboriginal art, horror movies, and now the Middle Ages: the Mulleavy sisters always pull from an unexpected inspiration. For Spring 2013, the look was more tough than pretty.

The look: Slick hair on a diagonal part, shiny eyes, waxy nails, and pewter ear cuffs
The inspiration: Modern medieval
Who would wear it: Former Ren Faire girls who moved to the big city

Kirsten Dunst and Rachel Zoe joined Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour yesterday at Rodarte's Spring 2013 show in NYC. The three women each claimed a front-row seat to watch the ambitious, fantasy-inspired collection come down the runway. NYFW kicked off last week, and celebrities including Lauren Conrad, Ashley Greene, and Victoria Beckham — who showed the latest collection from her eponymous clothing line on Sunday — have also flocked to the Big Apple for the stylish festivities.

Kirsten is a longtime friend and fan of Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, and carved time out of her work schedule to step out in support of the sisters' latest show. Just a few days ago, Kirsten was at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of On the Road. She headed back to the States this weekend with her costar and boyfriend, Garrett Hedlund, by her side.

Rodarte's woman is strong, heroic, a little bit sci-fi, a little bit fantastical, and every bit the embodiment of powerful style. From the ultrastructured silhouettes to the metallic platform sandals, we're already obsessed with this standout lineup. Sure, the pieces may strike an outlandish note at times — the Game of Thrones-esque dragon motifs and oversized patchwork sweaters, for example — but it totally works. So much so, that we're kind of dying to be Rodarte's superwoman come Spring 2013. Check out all the pictures from the collection now, and be sure to come back soon for our full review.

If you think you see allusions to Game of Thrones in Rodarte's well-armored Spring 2013 collection, think again: Laura Mulleavy claimed backstage Tuesday that she's never seen the HBO costume drama.

Whether the same can be said of her sister Kate is uncertain, but what we do know is that this collection drew inspiration from a rich store of references including medieval garb, fantasy role-playing games, and motorcycles. If nods to the Hells Angels (leather jackets with ropes of fringe) seem out of place with the other touchpoints in this collection, it was the Mulleavys' signature layered decoration that blended them all together.

Second-skin printed turtleneck sweaters, for example, were made battle ready with the addition of matelasse bodices and breastplates made from origami-folded brocades. A skirt made from open square panels of a metallic fiber made for a modern take on chain mail — and there were actual chains used in a number of decorative belts.

The looks that were more damsel in distress than knight in shining armor were just as fantastical, but with less edge. A stunning blue gown with a high neckline and short sleeves featured a bodice of latticed metal pieces that looked like a luxury chastity belt.