New York Fashion Week – Rodarte

Of all the shows during NYFW, Rodarte was THE most conceptual and arty. Again we saw several different ways to use sheer fabric, some successful, some not, the majority being very difficult to wear. Rodarte has managed to carve out a very select group of niche customers who shop for fantasy clothing made for reality. Rodarte is very clever as it changes our perception of wearability, most people will take one look at these clothes and say WOW, then move on. However their niche customers are on the cusp of something new, they are willing to buy experimental clothing from Rodarte as their love of fashion is translated brilliantly into their collections.

Spring Summer 2008 was influenced by Japanese anime comics (another sub-theme for next season appears to be Japan and the orient) yet not in an obvious way. Instead they capture the curious fusion between extremely ethereal femininity (the use of sheer fabrics (that almost seem like films their so light))

And a sinister dark atmosphere (do I really need to talk about the shoes when practically everyone else already has?)

Whilst keeping within a strangely comic book style, as if the flowing clothes of anime cartoons have jumped onto a catwalk.

If you felt that the above looks were just too outlandish Rodarte does seem to be influenced a lot by the Chanel tweed suits (who isn’t?) which could be worn with more conservative clothing (a blouse instead of the see-thru top seen bellow) and still work with the same effect.

There was thiss great silver party frock, with a kind of Marc Jacobs grungy silhouette whilst still staying within the collections anime theme (the graphic jagged mountains).

Yet our most favourite look was this spring dress and coat. The coat has a kind of informal quality thanks to its construction, whilst the colours could help it to stay in your wardrobes till autumn!

If there is one thing that we would ever preach it is to have fun with what you wear, don’t take it too seriously and don’t be afraid to experiment. If one of these looks appears too daunting just try a certain aspect. A word to the wise, don’t get wicked shoes like those above, this whole evil heels trend will eventually wear off and even if you wear them now, you will look like you’ve stepped out of a biker chick bar and not in a good way. However for the runway, the evil shoe worked out balancing out the “fru fru and frill” of the sheer fabrics with the evil spikes of the shoes. For our final post in our New York Fashion Week roundup, we’ll be taking a look at the different idea’s of modernity from Proenza Schouler on one side and Narciso Rodriguez on the other.