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Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
The eye-popping, incredible Rodarte exhibition of gowns and apparel, designed by the hot costumers of stage and screen, the Mulleavy sisters, will enjoy its last day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Sunday.
For anyone remotely interested in design, the combination of nature and costuming, fashion, creativity, and women's gowns, this is must-see. To miss it is to deprive yourself of one of the most spectacular shows in the history of the Women's Museum.
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte
is the first fashion exhibition at NMWA where the Mulleavys say they "are honored
to be the first designers" featured.
The name of the house built by Kate (b. 1979) and Laura (b. 1980) comes from their mother's maiden name, Rodarte.
Sounds rather Italian, doesn't it?
These are dresses and slips worn by Kirsten Dunst in the Mulleavys' 2017 film, Woodshock. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
A slip worn by Kirsten Dunst in the Mulleavys' 2017 film, Woodshock. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
The museum's Fall 2018 issue of Women in the Arts quotes Kate Mulleavy: "There is probably a little bit of California's natural beauty in every one of our collections," and Laura Mulleavy: "Nature inspires our choice of colors and the way we build garments" incorporating flowers and other natural plants and pieces found outdoors.
Like Sean Scully whose Landline series stemmed from memories of his childhood in Dublin, Ireland and the natural lines of sea and horizon, the sisters credit nature and the outdoors where they played as children for the source of many of their creations.
The label copy reads: "Horror films, a favorite cinematic genre of the Mulleavys, inspired this collection. For these looks, they undertook a laborious process of bound-resist dyeing in order to achieve the precise blood-red hue." Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Natalie Portman wore this tutu in Black Swan, 2010. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Growing up, the sisters' stomping grounds lay between San Francisco and Monterey, and the two also had access to film production lots, another source of inspiration. Their college educations in art history (Kate) and literature (Laura) served as springboards to possibilities and adaptations, strengthening their inclinations to use natural elements and what lay around them.
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Jill D'Alessandro, the guest curator from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, wrote that when "Rodarte burst onto the scene in 2005," the house took "the fashion and art world by surprise with their deeply personal and conceptual approach to fashion design."
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Almost 100 creations spanning the life of Rodarte define the show with the most enthralling gallery, the last, the garden room, filled with florals and outrageous combinations and flaming colors. It's rather like a giant dollhouse of science fiction, life size mannequins in a fairy land at the height of femininity. Another world, adopting the station of womanhood and submission from centuries ago, to women dressed today romantically and idealistically to fit conceptions of what could be.
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Shades of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night and sunflowers at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Star Wars gowns at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie
Please, come and compare your impressions to mine and write soon.
Virginia Treanor, associate curator at the NMWA, assisted with production of the exhibition.
What: Rodarte
When: Through Sunday, February 10, 2019. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is
open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m.
Where: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
Admission: $10,
adults; $8, seniors and students; and free for members and children, 18
and under.
On the first Sunday of each month, "Community Day," there is no charge for admission.
For more information: 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.
Metro stations: Metro Center (exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north) or walk a short distance from McPherson Square.
patricialesli@gmail.com
Leslie Caron wore this gown designed by Walter Plunkett and Helen Rose for 1955's The Glass Slipper. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
The theme at this year's 2015 Philadelphia International Flower Show (to see at least one year before you die) is "Lights, Camera, Bloom!" as in Hollywood, and what better place to show off some of Gene London's collection of 60,000 costumes than the show which captured international honors as "the best event in the world" (International Festivals & Events Association)? If you missed it, there's next year! A docent said London's collection travels the world, but he has no museum to display costumes. She said everyone admires the tiny waistlines on display, and the gowns.
Audrey Hepburn wore these two Cecil Beaton gowns in 1964's My Fair Lady. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
Elizabeth Taylor wore this Halston at the 1972 Academy Awards presentation. The label below the gown says Ms. Taylor flew the designer out to Hollywood where he created this for her in three days. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
B
ette Davis wore this Nolan Miller gown when she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Spain's San Sebastian Film Festival in 1989. Too weak from illness to make it back to the U.S., Ms. Davis, 81, died soon afterwards in France. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
The crowd at the Gene London Hollywood Collection exhibition at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Tallulah Bankhead was Catherine the Great in The Royal Scandal in 1945 and wore this gown designed by Rene Hubert. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
Tallulah Bankhead and James Stewart in The Royal Scandal from 1945. (See gown above.) From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
In 1939's Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Bette Davis played the queen in this Orry Kelly creation. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
Lana Turner was "Samarra" and a size 3 in this scandalous-at-the-time Herschel creation for The Prodigal in 1955. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
The Marilyn Monroe collection from Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
At Gene London's Hollywood Collection exhibition at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show/Photo by Patricia Leslie
This is a replica of a gown worn by Scarlett O'Hara (Vivian Leigh) in 1939's Gone with the Wind. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
In the classic stairwell scene in Gone with the Wind, Miss Scarlett (Vivian Leigh) wore this gown when Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) carried her upstairs. From Gene London's Hollywood Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
Gene London's Gone with the Wind Collection at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show/Photo by Patricia Leslie
At Gene London's Hollywood Collection exhibition at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Gene London, the collector, at his Hollywood Collection exhibition at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Star Wars gowns at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie 
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