If Little Bo Peep met up with Dolly Parton & Patsy Cline for a tea party; they would for sure of inspired the designing sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who formed the label Rodarte.

Forgoing a catwalk show due to the limitations of the pandemic, although Rodarte have been opting out of Fashion Week for a few seasons now, Rodarte released their collection via a beautifully styled shoot.

Models in etherial poses, stand proud in the hillsides of California -captured before the heartbreaking fires began. The clothing is playfully styled with floral face frames and bonnets, Little Bo Peep-esque netting swathed around the neck and blowing in the wind and sheer socks and gloves with lace trims.

When you take away the fantastical styling, you are left with a line of solid wearable pieces. The 40’s style dresses, with their buttoned up bodices and dropped waists are refined and elegant but look modern with the oversized collars and retro handkerchief prints. The easy silk pieces stand out to me as a nod to the WFH situation many of us are facing, for the commute from kitchen to office, easy pajama dressing with the silk sweatshirt and sweatpants in those same exquisite prints with bold stripe rib trim.

The 40’s inspiration continues with pretty tea dresses in vintage ditsy inspired florals and fresh gingham two piece dressing with fitted pencil skirts and gingham matching wide belts. The shirtdress is a key piece in many collections, and at Rodarte it’s decadently retro buttoned up tight with delicate silk covered buttons and pussy bow neck ties.

The colors of the collection are pretty and feminine. A pink reminiscent of smushed strawberry juice, a fancy china blue and pops of red, and green in the florals play off of a ground of clean white and sharp black.

Sara Louise Petty

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