Gushing

Rodarte F/W 2009 RTW

I can not express how much I love Rodarte and the creative genius of the Mulleavy sisters. These two embody everything I had ever dreamed of being when I would sit and imagine my life as a fashion designer. Their approach is refreshing; having both been trained outside of the fashion world, their work truly reflects the passion and commitment they have to creating beautiful garments. They ooze with a level of sophistication and respect that I find lacking in many other labels. These are not just garments, they are each beautiful works of art, boldly championing the craft of fashion and the power of ones imagination.

Rodarte S/S 2009 RTW

Now that I've finished gushing, you can imagine my initial excitement when the duo announced they will be collaborating with Target to create a Go International line for the mega chain this upcoming December. The idea that the Mulleavy's will attempt to translate their unique pieces into palatable, mass market goods is at once amazing and bittersweet. While I am already salivating at the idea that I could potentially afford to own one of their pieces, I am nervous that a mass market interpretation of their work would get lost in translation. As I mentioned before, Rodarte is all about craft- their pieces are impeccably detailed and thoughtful, an inherent quality due to the fact that they are all hand crafted by the two sisters themselves. Now call me old fashioned- but there is something so genuinely beautiful about that- garments that welcome a hand touch, created by the same people who dreamed them up, as opposed to a factory somewhere far off. Obviously- the Target line, which will retail from $9.99 to $79.99, will probably be produced overseas... so I can only hope that their vision and aesthetic will not be compromised.

Only time will tell.

Photos courtesy of Style.com