So what a delight it is to see Alicia Silverstone, the actress behind Cher’s cattily wholesome persona, sun-kissed and smiling in Rodarte’s fall 2021 look book and film, alongside Aurora James, Heather Kemesky, and other models. The campy, kitschy teen world of Amy Heckerling’s 1995 classic might seem miles away from the broody gothicism often associated with Rodarte, but Kate and Laura Mulleavy grew up on Clueless. They saw it in theaters in their native California—and then rented it “hundreds” of times from their local video store.

- Steff Yotka

"With this collection, they have proven their ability to make inherently useful garments that don’t compromise on the Rodarte DNA. Pajama sets, slips, and robes appear in dainty and orderly floral prints inspired by their local gardens. The floral story continues in the ’40s dresses they played with last season, now relaxed in shape with prints that radiate from the navel or appear in handkerchief-like grids."

- Steff Yotka

"There was something a bit sickly about the languid silk dress with its roses and heart print, something a bit hothouse about the flowers embroidered on the bust of the sui generis mid-calf frocks, with their appealingly odd, armor-like pleated shoulders. Then things got seriously dark: a sparkly midnight blue hooded cape, black fringe like the tendrils of witches’ hair, cobweb embellishments, a sea of blood red. It was like witnessing the transformation of prey into predator, which was exactly the point."

-Maya Singer

"Through their work with actors and brides, and in film and opera, they have learned to execute impeccable fit and a cunningly light touch with construction that has been lost at more commercial or industrial houses. These clothes are meant to be worn, not simply photographed; they are not costumes. It is little wonder the world’s coolest actresses line up to wear them. At this time in our culture, when to live sustainability we must evaluate the quality of every purchase, Rodarte has shown a winning hand."

- Sally Singer

"The line the Mulleavys continue to walk in all of their work—fashion, cinema, performance—between hard and soft, tacky and transcendent, erotic and innocent, horror films and heavenly visions, is compelling, challenging, and crazy fun to behold. To borrow from Beyoncé (herself no stranger to musicals and iconicity), Rodarte trades in both sweet dreams and beautiful nightmares. Why turn the lights on?"

-Sally Singer

"No one is better at provoking daydreams than Rodarte—it’s impossible to watch one of their shows without fantasizing about the kind of life these looks demand, a life of endless decadence and romance. You could see them as the ghosts of possible selves."

- Maya Singer

"Up close, the luxury of the dresses became microscopically apparent. What seemed to be a print of black dashes on white was actually tiny bows; dots on red tulle were minuscule embroidered roses. It may not have the pomp of Parisian haute couture, but it doesn’t intend to, either. This is a unique, young, very American sensibility; fashion that can transport a whole world with it, and yet is not diminished by being seen among foreign competition. Rodarte is, wonderfully, what Rodarte is."

- Sarah Mower

"But mostly there was baby’s breath—yes, real baby’s breath...Models’ hair was covered in it, as were a few of the loveliest dresses, and many of the girls walked the runways dragging massive bouquets of the white fluff behind them.  This was perhaps the most Rodarte gesture of the day: to remember and elevate the beauty of something so common, so prevalent, and so deeply associated with the romantic imagination of young women."

- Sally Singer