Rodarte

Rodarte

Company type	Private
Industry	Fashion
Founded	2005 (2005)
Founder	Kate Mulleavy, Laura Mulleavy
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Clothing, fashion accessories

Rodarte () is a Los Angeles-based American fashion label established by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Since its inception in 2005, Rodarte has garnered multiple accolades within the fashion industry, solidifying its position in the market. The brand’s commercial approach involves strategic partnerships with prominent retailers such as Gap and Target, enabling the release of exclusive capsule collections that broaden its consumer base.

History

Following their graduation in 2002, the Mulleavy sisters moved back to Aptos, California, where they pooled together $16,500 to fund their first limited collection. To support this venture, Laura took on waitressing jobs while Kate financed the project by selling collectible vinyl records. The name Rodarte honors their mother’s maiden name, underscoring the personal connection behind the brand’s identity.

Their initial offering consisted of ten pieces: seven dresses and two coats. Early recognition came after their collection was featured on the February 2005 cover of Women's Wear Daily, attracting attention from influential figures like Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, who personally engaged with them—signaling early leadership and influence within the fashion sector.

Rodarte quickly became known for its exceptional attention to detail; for instance, a chiffon dress from their 2006 line required more than 150 hours of labor. The brand’s expansion included collaborations with Gap in 2007 and Target in 2009, utilizing these partnerships to diversify product offerings and enhance market penetration while preserving a high-end image.

Style and influences

The Mulleavy sisters attribute much of Rodarte’s creative vision to their West Coast roots, drawing inspiration from the natural landscapes of America. Over time, their design language has shifted towards darker, edgier aesthetics incorporating punk, gothic, and deconstructed motifs influenced by anime, horror cinema, and S&M subcultures. Rodarte has been likened to "the fashion equivalent of a Basquiat," resonating deeply with industry insiders while maintaining an enigmatic allure for wider audiences.

Museums and exhibitions

Rodarte’s creations are part of permanent collections at prestigious institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The label has participated in significant exhibitions such as the Met’s BLOGMODE (2007), Punk: Chaos to Couture (2013), and FIT’s Luxury (2007) and American Beauty (2010). On an international level, Rodarte has been featured repeatedly at the Arnhem Fashion Biennale.

In 2008, Rodarte became the first designers since Issey Miyake in 1982 to be profiled in Artforum. Their inaugural solo exhibition took place at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in 2010. Additionally, they contributed original sketches for LACMA’s Cell Phone Stories initiative in 2011.

MOCA Los Angeles hosted Rodarte: States of Matter in 2011, presenting collections from Fall 2008 through Fall 2010 alongside costumes from the film Black Swan. That same year, LACMA acquired Rodarte’s Spring 2012 couture collection, which was exhibited within their Italian Renaissance galleries during the Rodarte: Fra Angelico Collection show from December 2011 to February 2012.

Accolades

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the visionary founders behind Rodarte, were honored with the United States Artists Fellowship in 2009. That same year, Rodarte was recognized as a finalist for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards in Fashion Design and subsequently secured the award in 2010. Marking a milestone, the label became the first fashion house to receive the National Art Award from Americans for the Arts in 2010, an accolade represented by a gold bunny sculpture created by Jeff Koons.

In 2011, Rodarte was distinguished with the Fashion Group International Star Honoree Award. The following year, Fast Company included the brand among its list of 50 Designers Shaping The Future. Additionally, in 2014, a short film by Rodarte directed by Todd Cole received the People's Choice Webby Award for Branded Scripted Entertainment.

Overview of notable honors:

• 2014 People's Choice Webby Award – Branded Scripted Entertainment
• 2011 Fashion Group International Star Honoree Award
• 2010 Americans for the Arts National Art Award
• 2010 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award
• 2009 United States Artists Fellowship
• 2009 CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year
• 2008 CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear
• 2008 Stella Swiss Textiles Award
• 2006 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award

See also

• Dice Kayek