The Rodarte 2016 spring ready-to-wear collection drew heavily from 19th century imagery, and romantic Gothic styling. Designers Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy went on record saying that they spent the summer immersed in the world of poets such as Dickinson and Browning, soaking up their delicate linguistic rhythms, and channeling them into ephemeral dresses. The collection featured lavish embroidery, velvets, lace and Victoriana bodices, with elegant pops of silver and gold thrown into the ornate collage.
Taking in the images from this show was sheer bliss for me. I live for luscious fabrics, restructured Victoriana, and nods towards lingerie. For this look I chose a sheer (of course black) top, with puff sleeves. I paired it with a lace camisole underneath, that peaks out to add additional texture. I wore black skinny jeans to keep the look casual, and to add a sense of modernity, to the otherwise rather Victorian look.
As for accessories, I added a wide belt to cinch my waist, and add some structure to the flowing blouse. For pops of color I chose a red GUESS clutch, and a pair of red crocodile skin print boots. A simple necklace completes the ensemble.
What a lovely homage to the Romanticists of old. This show immediately reminded me of some of my favorite novels such as Wuthering Heights and The Portrait of Dorian Gray. In fact as I write this I have on my beloved Wuthering Heights as a source of inspiration.
Get My Look: 1. A sheer flowing top. 2. Lace camisole. 3. Wide belt. 4. GUESSÂ clutch 5. Red boots.
