Does Rodarte actually exist?

[_AR]

Can't say I agree with the conclusion that Rodarte should not win CDFA awards since it's not a "scalable business," but interesting brief history of the label.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/does-rodarte-actually-exist-the-vaporous-business-plan-of-a-fashion-industry-darling/2016/06/01/e4739220-071a-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html

[Faust]

Rodarte is all smoke and mirrors. They are two slightly artistic, hipster-culture educated, not very smart girls. This model suits them perfectly. I bet you everything that aside from a pattern maker, the rest of the studio are interns, then maybe a manager, and that's it. You don't need to produce too many dresses at $10k to keep that going. Put in a museum show here and there, a book, and you got it. Keep mum, because you are not very articulate and don't have much to say - I know this having witnessed a press conference and getting to ask them a couple of questions to which they basically had no answers. Instead, put the clothes on celebs, befriend Anna Wintour and you are done.

The proof is in the pudding.

[_AR]

Appreciate the New Yorker article.

Instead, put the clothes on celebs, befriend Anna Wintour and you are done.

This, combined with the 10k dresses, seems to be the model for a lot of designers. Honestly it blows my mind a little that they've basically been in exactly the same spot as a label for the last 10 years.

[vtlynch]

That New Yorker article really speaks to the influence of class in high fashion. Sure, its nice when designers do something "authentic"/"personal". There is indeed too much soul-less product out there.

But how many designers are doing something "personal" that dont get attention from people like Wintour and Lagerfeld in their first year (or ever)? What about Rodarte designs, exactly, inspired such a love from some famous critics and designers? While others, like Horyn, (who, in my opinion, is right on the money in her critique) dismiss it?

It seems pretty obvious that certain "experience" is fetishized. Nothing about these girls lives suggest that their personal reflections are interesting. Yet they are being championed for just that. If they werent rich white girls, would we be hearing about them at all?

It is no surprise that these two sisters (who, from that New Yorker profile, seem to have some sort of personality disorder) are socialites and friends with famous people like Jason Schwartzman

[Faust]

I don't think they were rich. And they are not particularly photogenic. I think they just lucked out in meeting the right people at the right time.
Meanwhile, Friday night I got another "Celebrity X wearing Rodarte" PR alert.

[Chinorlz]

I don't think they were rich. And they are not particularly photogenic. I think they just lucked out in meeting the right people at the right time.
Meanwhile, Friday night I got another "Celebrity X wearing Rodarte" PR alert.

Indeed the Garments are quite nice, but definitely the "story" of the sisters helps build the story especially with the prospective (rich) buyers. Ah well, more power to them for seemingly being able to maintain this line and maintain a living whilst doing it!