Rodarte's New Celebrity Lookbook Is a Frothy, Balletcore Dream

Whimsical sister act, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, have built their fashion brand, Rodarte, on fantasy and dreams, blurring the lines of reality with their creations. The fanciful brand remains faithful in its story of eloquence, imagination, and poetic romanticism. Nowhere is this more evident than in their Fall 2022 celebrity lookbook—a dreamy fantasyland set in front of a gated garden dusted with powdery snow, sprouting blooms, and sculpted swans. This collection paints you right into the world of Edgar Degas.

This lucid dream of a collection explored the complexity of ballet, encapsulating both the fragility and strength of the art form. Cascading tulle skirts, finely crafted knits, thoughtfully-placed lace, and exuberant floral motifs captured the softness of ballet, while denim and eccentric tailoring brought a bit of structure and strength to their vision.

The Rodarte duo clearly leaned into their Black Swan archives (the sisters were behind the iconic film's ballerina garb that launched a thousand Halloween costumes) when crafting this collection. The laced-up heels and pointe flats are the perfect marriage of form and function, complete with matching leg warmers and a delightful square toe. The adorning blossomed crowns paired with slicked top knots, and sculpted curls play right into the swoon-worthy theme that's part of Rodarte's DNA.

The artful makeup chosen was not overlooked when crafting the narrative of this magical escape. The soft glam is simple and subtle, not to take away from the collection's focus, much like ballet stage makeup itself. Pouty pink lips, softly blushed cheeks, dewy skin, and pastel-brushed eyeshadow add another painterly, ethereal layer to the vision.

Naturally, the whimsical looks are paired with some of our favorite faces. Rodarte has a long history of casting famous friends in their shoots. Who could forget the January Jones and Kiernan Shipka Mad Men reunion? This year's list included Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Natasha Lyonne, and Lana Condor—just to name a few. Notably, Taylour Paige, who recently starred in the Twitter-to-film adaptation Zola and has a background in ballet, posed in fourth position wearing a feather-trimmed robe and rosette-covered slip.

Though this celebrity-filled daydream seems more fairytale than real life, a few pieces bring the looks back to earth. Rodarte's buttery slip dresses, floral-printed frocks, and striped wrap tops are bold, but wearable. Exaggerated details (think: feathers, theatrical bouquet embellishments, overflowing tulle, sequins, and pearls), however, elevate the vision, taking the collection from ballet class to Lourve painting. The Mulleavy sisters are selling us a balletcore fever dream, and, honestly, we're buying it.