Monday, December 14, 2009

THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS ON RODARTE


(tweed boob shields)


I know everyone loves Rodarte and shit but I'm just gonna go out and say it... I don't effing ***GET**** Rodarte
They put on great shows each time with a strong, modern inspiration that doesn't take itself too seriously (japanese gore movies, cyber amazon warriors, technicolor naiad faries).



but besides giving us that and providing the obligatory OH MY GOD I DIE I DIE, ALL KINDS OF AMAZING, etc item each season, I fail to see the common thread between the collection pieces that make it to retail. What exactly does the non-runway Rodarte woman look like?

I am not denying they have vision, nor am I denying their capability to translate their refreshing, unexpected inspirations very well on the runway as well as in editorials, BUT... retail is another story.

I was looking at their selection at Colette and it looked like an Anna Sui+Gareth Pugh+Balenciaga hodgepodge... maybe a bad buy?


and then there's the Target collection....







I mean...

what is this?


It looks like 00's thrift chic??



ugly prom dresses worn with denim jackets and docssssss AY JESUCITOOO



I was expecting more acid colored loose knits, cutout pleather and ripped (poly)chiffon.

Maybe even a geological strata-print cotton tee? why go the way of the now trite skeleton print?

I bet F21 is gonna do Rodarte for F21 better than Rodarte does Rodarte for Target.



Thoughts on the subject? maybe I'm missing something... please enlighten me!



pic from target.com, nytimes, yoox

10 comments:

Paige said...

I find rodarte similarly frustrating. they put on these consistently stunning shows but it never translates into anything but a showpiece on kirsten dunst. i don't know how the industry works or anything but i'm puzzled by how they finance the work and the shows without selling their product to more than three or four people. Hence the target collection...to make some bank so they can keep putting on shows maybe?

Feisjanter said...

"I bet F21 is gonna do Rodarte for F21 better than Rodarte does Rodarte for Target"

Amen

Chad said...

I feel you on this. The only collections I legitimately like by them are the spring and fall 2008 collections. It's sort of funny how drastically their aesthetic has changed. I sort of wish they stuck with the renegade princess vibe rather than this aggressive, now disgruntled fairy theme. Well that Target collection looks like it was made for Mz. Style-Nookie and her friends. On another note, can we please talk about why they aren't giving credit to Junya Watanabe for those sweaters and Jurgi Persoons for those knit leggings?

Fierce or Farce? said...

rodarte sucks. i can't believe how much they're selling those stupid dresses for. $20,000 for a dress which is basically made by spinning a dress form around while winding random pieces of found fabrics around it, then tacking them down with a couple of stitches. FARCE. excuse me while i barf.

Vintage Pattern Vault said...
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Vintage Pattern Vault said...
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JJ said...

*breathes a post-lunch onion-scented sigh of relief*
I knew I couldn't be alone. I also wonder why people questioning Rodarte are so scarce as opposed to those who question Balmain (which are thankfully abundant).

I think that the people that are suspicious of Rodarte as a label are then swayed by the sisters' endearing, nearly geeky demeanor and down-to-earth interviews...along with the statement shoes (as LADIVASOSA says)... whereas Balmain is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of situation.

I do think this is a major case of Kool-Aid drinking.... dare I say even more than Balmain itself??

at least Balmain delivers whatever shit they show on the runway to stores...and you can easily recognize the Balmain woman if you saw her on the street.

Rodarte not so much.
I mean that leopard dress that everyone's raving about? yeah, I like it but it could've easily been part of Target's regular line of cluthins.

Marina said...

Dear JJ!
I absolutely agree with you. But I want to add that for me Rodarte is short-lived brand as many other new brands and people will forget about them soon. This Target collection revealed that sisters do not feel fashion and style.So so bad.Cheap prom dresses, cheap lace tights, doc's, denim jackets-who will wear this?Maybe Vivian from Pretty Woman

bonbon's vintage said...

Omg, I think the collection is hideous. I don't why there is so much hype.

Anonymous said...

I think they have potential, but aren't as cool as people make them out to be. I think it's mostly that they have a name people like saying. Rodarte sounds so cool. Anyway, their make-up jobs look like crap.