Advertisements:

Rodarte is a clothing line launched in 2005 by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Rodarte is named after their grandfather, a Zacatecan coal miner who immigrated to America during the Mexican Revolution. Their garments have been described as minimal and extravagant, rough and refined, intellectual and effortless.

The collection ranges from $1300 to $2000 in price. Determined not to cut any corners, the girls use only the most expensive fabrics and are known for their attention to detail. 26-year-old Kate and 24-year-old Laura are both graduates of Berkeley, but neither has had any formal fashion training, only a deep passion for designing clothing.

When the girls decided to move forward with their venture they wrote a letter to Cameron Silver, owner of the vintage boutique Decades, in West Hollywood. After seeing their determination and a few sketches, he took them under his wing and made some industry connections with the press and retailers. A few weeks later they packed their ten dress collection and headed to New York after some prodding from a Neiman Marcus buyer.

They have had amazing success in a very short period of time and have even presented their collection privately for Vogue's Anna Wintour. Rodarte was selected as one of six Ecco Domani emerging designers for 2006.