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Rodarte to Go International For Target

FabSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:37:48 -0700

What a glorious day! It has just been announced that Kate and Laura Mulleavy are designing a 55-piece Rodarte line for Target Go International, which lands in stores and online on Dec. 20. "It’s very feminine, yet very modern. The collection incorporates a rich mix of patterns and fabrications and everything from sequins and bows to faux fur. The key with Rodarte is layering," said Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas. Prices will range from $9.99 for knee-highs to $79.99 for a leopard-print jacket. Also, expect to see a variety of holiday dresses. All of Target's designer collaborations have been great, but this one I'm standing in line for.

And the 2009 CFDA Winners Are . . .

FabSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:05:11 -0700

As expected, the 2009 CFDA awards ceremony brought out a bevy of dazzling models, designers, and celebrities - make sure to vote on our love it or hate it polls! While most came to party, others eagerly awaited the announcement of this year's winners. Let's see who took home the cake . . .

(L-R: Alexander Wang, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler)

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Rodarte
Menswear Designer of the Year: Tie between Italo Zucchelli, Calvin Klein Collection, and Scott Sternberg, Band of Outsiders
Accessories Designer of the Year: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler
Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Alexander Wang
Swarovski Award for Menswear: Tim Hamilton
Swarovski Accessories Award: Justin Giunta, Subversive Jewelry
International Award: Marc Jacobs

To see the rest of the winners, read more

Eleanor Lambert Award: Jim Moore
Eugenia Sheppard Award: Edward Nardoza
Board of Directors' Special Tribute: Michelle Obama
Popular Vote Award: Ralph Lauren
Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Anna Sui

WireImage and Getty

On Our Radar: Rodarte Catches the Wedding Bug

FabSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:00:22 -0700

Wedding dresses are getting a fashionable makeover thanks to Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The sisters are trying their hand at designing a bridal gown for filmmaker Miranda July. The avid Rodarte fan says her dress is inspired by previous Rodarte collections but not as graphically bold. Spidery, soft, whimsical Rodarte? Sounds Fab.

Check out all of the Sugar Network’s wedding coverage !

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Fab Flash: Rodarte Diet Request Causes Vogue Controversy

FabSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:30:22 -0700

The April issue of Vogue has been feeling its share of media heat, first for the possibly suggestive cover with LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen, and now for one of the features inside. Last September, a Vogue editor suggested that Laura and Kate Mulleavy, the designers behind Rodarte, see a trainer and go on a diet. The sisters admitted that a doctor had told them to get in shape and said they wanted to be healthier, so they agreed and accepted four months of personal training and a meal-delivery service paid for by the magazine. As a result, Laura and Kate lost 50 pounds combined, all the while keeping a journal which appears in the April Shape issue.

The magazine has a history of chronicling staff diets, but objections rose that such a suggestion to an outside party was out of line. What do you think, are the ladies at Vogue just trying to rabblerouse or is the media concern deserved?

To see the spread more up close just read more.

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Hear What One Mulleavy Sister Has to Say and See Behind the Scenes at Rodarte

FabSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:00:22 -0800

The Mulleavy sisters are on the rise, and after attending a Rodarte show for the first time, I now see why. Though Laura and Kate's designs aren't everyday wearable or affordable, they are art. And the sisters are evolving. One thing is for sure: Rodarte has found a niche. A fantastical world where women are feminine creatures who inhabit an otherworldly place. Intrigued? I caught up with Laura in the Lexus lounge after her show, and she spoke the creative speak of a designer in her element.

What are you feeling now that your show is over?

I am exhausted, excited, and happy. I was so nervous that last two days and I have no idea why.

More nervous than before?

Oh definitely. I think we were just so invested in it and it was definitely “us.” It just meant a lot for us to do this collection and get to a point where you grow and you can do more; it just felt different.

There were so many textures and colors in your collection. Let’s talk inspiration.

It started with the idea of Japanese horror films and Kabuki theater. Then we had the color red - how do you make red beautiful? Is it through orchids and peaches; do you use blacks, white, grays? And if you want to use all those colors, how do you balance it all? I felt like last season was a lot of watercolor pieces, but this season it felt like a movement of color too but in a stronger way.

To read the rest of what Laura has to say and to see Fab pre- and post-show photos, read more

What about your choice of fabrics?

Tulle and mohair and silk tulle. Anything light and see-through. Organza. Or has a quality that it seems to be broken but it’s so sturdy. I love that.

I am San Francisco-based, so I wanted to ask you about the Bay Area and your time at UC Berkeley.

We grew up in northern California – Santa Cruz, Monterey - and then moved to southern California in high school. But we both went to Berkeley. If you can go to college, I would tell anyone to try to go to Berkeley. I had the most amazing professors. There was something about being taught by someone that was the best at their field. There’s something really amazing about that campus too; it’s really beautiful.

At what point in time did you guys talk about becoming designers?

We always wanted to be designers, but we never really talked about it. It was what we loved, but I never considered going to design school. I wanted to learn other things. Everyone has a different way of working. I think we work by trying to learn things and then seeing how it works.

Can we talk about those Christian Louboutin shoes?!

Oh yeah (laughs). You need a base, and if you can imagine something delicate, I can only see it going hand in hand with something harder and graphic. The heels were six-and-a-half inches, but I didn’t know they would be! We knew we wanted them high. We were very careful with the girls, and they were girls who could walk in them. We practiced a lot. They were excited.

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Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte in Vogue April 2008

FabSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:50:06 -0700

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Rodarte's Death Valley Voodoo Ladies: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:00:22 -0700

Rodarte continues to be a hot ticket at New York Fashion Week. With a unique point of view and celebrity cheerleader Kirsten Dunst, their next moves are closely monitored. I'm always intrigued by their inspirations - in the past it's been Japanese horror movies and Star Wars. For Spring, the Mulleavy sisters took a trip to Death Valley, hence their dusty palette and rugged trimmings. Laura referenced freaky, dark feathery friends: "California condors, the big, bald, black vultures that faced extinction in the late '80s." Aside from the black sand on the runway, the interpretation wasn't too literal - tribal tattooed arms provide some voodoo mystique. Rodarte partnered with Nicholas Kirkwood on their always intense shoes. I'm on the barbwire fence with this once, what about you? Don't forget to check out all of our New York Fashion Week coverage and follow my Fashion Week adventures on Twitter!

Battle of the Rodarte: Watson vs. Bosworth

FabSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:00:08 -0700

The Rodarte sisters, Laura and Kate Mulleavy, cohosted a special dinner last night with Kate Bosworth at the Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor restaurant in London. Of her peach silk and net Rodarte dress, Kate Bosworth said: "It's kind of deconstructed ballerina." If Kate was a deconstructed ballerina, then actress Emma Watson was a rebel dancer in her bold black, blue, and white Rodarte frock. Both stars wore Rodarte's Spring frocks beautifully, but only one can win this battle. Who's it gonna be?

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Vote For Your CFDA Fave!

FabSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:00:22 -0700

Change is coming. For the first time in history, the CFDA is giving away a Popular Vote Award. Starting today, everyone can vote for their favorite women and men's fashion designers such as Narciso Rodriguez, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Alexander Wang, to name a few. The winner will be revealed on June 15 at the CFDA Fashion Awards. Oh, every time you vote, you'll be entered to win two tickets to a New York Fashion Week runway show. Awesome. Polls close Tuesday, June 9.

On Our Radar: Gen Art's International Design Competition

FabSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:00:22 -0800

Calling all budding fashion designers: Gen Art will start taking submissions for its International Design Competition come Monday, Jan. 19. The winner in each category - women’s ready-to-wear, eveningwear, avant-garde, menswear, and accessories - will be gifted a $5,000 Award for Design Excellence. Eligible participants include student designers and those with less than seven years experience designing under their own name. According to sources, past competitions bolstered the careers of Peter Som and Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte. Deadline for submission is March 17.

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