If fashion were a sport, rookie designers would be wise to take coaching cues from Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sister act behind Rodarte. On the field, their mastery of colour theory and bias cuts routinely score winning touchdowns. Take for instance, this year’s SAG Awards; Kerry Washington made headlines for her choice of dress – a stunning white Rodarte gown with delicate silver trim and a corseted bodice.
But pushing forward with a strong offensive is not just a matter of technical wizardry. The Rodarte playbook takes full advantage of strategic branding maneuvers. In less than seven years, the duo has managed to expand their mass appeal without losing their artsy “it” factor. From directing costume design for 2010’s Black Swan to last summer’s Los Angeles Philharmonic’s production of Don Giovanni, the Mulleavys have acted as guest editors at magazines, created diffusion lines for Target and Gap, launched a capsule collection for Opening Ceremony and more recently, forged (a seemingly) unlikely partnership with Starbucks. READ MORE