With old Hollywood glamour, dreamy lush landscapes, and a permanently sunny forecast, designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s brand of full-fledged fashion fantasy has stayed firmly rooted in their Californian upbringing since they launched Rodarte in 2005. And this week's autumn/winter 2019 show inside The Huntington Library and Gardens, a landmark they frequented as children in their hometown of Pasadena, was a love letter to the beauty of La La Land, both make-believe and naturally occurring. Between the venue's magical botanical surroundings, and this season's inspiration - exuberant musicals spanning the '30s until the '70s - each above-the-neck look was more theatrical than the next.
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Surrounded by stacks of fresh florals and a menagerie of hair ornaments, hairstylist Odile Gilbert used a curling iron to create loose waves before vigorously shaking them out and blasting them with dry texture spray for extreme volume. After sculpting each model's lengths into a romantic, hyper-individualised style, Gilbert fastened on spectacular adornments including faux butterflies, vivid anthuriums, sequinned hats, and metallic logo hair barrettes. "[It's] the old Hollywood sophistication of full-bodied, textured waves with a nod to the '70s," explained Gilbert backstage, referencing Texan supermodel Jerry Hall's iconic side-swept, waist-grazing flaxen mane. "And the hair accessories give it a beautiful elegance."
Like Gilbert, make-up pro James Kaliardos had his hands full, his kit brimming with Technicolor pigments and pots of iridescent glitter. "I feel like Leigh Bowery!" he joked, using Scotch tape to pick up spare flecks. From runway regular Lily Nova to newcomer Awar Mou, Kaliardos prepped the complexions of each model with Nars’ Sheer Glow Foundation ("It really does the trick to make the skin look flawless," he explained), adding a swath of pink blush on the cheeks before laying on the pièce de résistance of the look: Monochrome glitter-pressed eyes and lips.
Originally, Kaliardos was just going to paint on jewel-toned shades of Audacious Lipstick and call it a day. But true to Rodarte's more-is-more spirit, he decided to up the ante, layering color-coordinated holographic pigments in shades of violet, fuchsia, and crimson on top to “make it pop.” And pop amidst the collection’s glittering two-piece sets, ruffled prairie dresses, and larger-than-life ball gowns they did. "When we put everyone in the looks we were like, 'Oh, it’s kind of Bob Fosse,'" said Kaliardos, referencing the famed director-choreographer behind 1972 musical drama Cabaret. "But that's the beauty of Kate and Laura, they love make-up and always appreciate the strength it can give a woman."
This article first appeared on Vogue.com.
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