A ten piece art-inspired gown collection by Rodarte is set to go on display at LACMA, where it will complement the Los Angeles museum’s collection of Italian Renaissance painting.
California born designers Laura and Kate Mulleavy originally created the collection to display at the Pitti Immagine W_Woman show last June. Fittingly for a Florence-bound range, the sisters chose the work of beatified early Renaissance artist Fra Angelico – whose most famous frescoes were created in San Marco, Florence as well as the Vatican – to form the inspiration for the line-up of vivid colors and luminescent sun ray detailing that characterise the collection.
The dresses echo Fra Angelico’s insistent use of pure pastels, intense brights and clear light. In draped and pleated layers of chiffon, crepe, gauze, lamé, organza, taffeta and satin the dresses are sculptural, with Angelico’s lengthened forms inspiring floor-sweeping silhouettes. Feathers, sequins and Easter lilies are all moulded by hand and used to adorn the dresses alongside gilded sun-ray headpieces, belts and breastplates and 30,000 Swarovski crystals.
The ethereal dresses take the devotional mood of Angelico and recreate it in a palette of pure white, aqua, lavender, pistachio, mauve, dusty blue, crimson and golden orange.
Rodarte has donated all ten couture creations to LACMA, where they will now form part of the permanent collection. The exhibition runs from December 17 to February 5.
www.lacma.org