The look-books of Rodarte create the most captivating collections of images to look at, and Fall 2022 is no exception.
The Los Angeles-based fashion label known for its poetic romanticism is back with another exquisite campaign moment. Rodarte designers and directors Kate and Laura Mulleavy enlisted Hollywood’s hottest stars this season, including Mandy Moore, Charli XCX, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Joey King and Rachel Brosnahan, to transform into whimsical ballerinas.
The sister act is known to cast Hollywood A-Listers to model their latest collections (some famous models include Grimes, Alicia Silverstone and series favourite Kirsten Dunst). Curating an ultra-feminine theme with pastel imagery by Daria Kobayashi Rich, set design by Tina Pappas and Adam Siegel and floral design by Joseph Free, the magical portrait series was shot over five days and sees appearances from a vibrant combination of actors, singers, dancers, and directors.
Rodarte’s ethereal fall 2022 world revolved around the idea of the modern-day ballerina, an idea that echoes the label’s dreamy identity and its signature tulle gowns, which the sister duo famously explored in their costumes for Black Swan.
The models were photographed against a fairytale-esque Leonardian backdrop in a dusty rose hue while adorning lace-up ballet slippers, spider-web knits, floral motifs, and the brand’s frothy tutu skirts in a soft pastel colour palette. The ballet-core filled daydream employed doll-like make-up for its muses, keeping the glam subtle and clean, not taking away from the collection’s focus. As for beauty, glowing skin, powder-pink lips and flushed cheeks added an artful layer to the vision.
Channelling the spirit of Anna Karenina and Swan Lake, The Mulleavy sisters told Vogue: “We were thinking about things that were a part of Rodarte and in our DNA,” says Laura. “We wanted to play with [ballerina] silhouettes and a soft pastel colour palette.”
The design duo had the all-star cast transform into ballerina dancers for a day, practising their best poses with toe points, extensions, and all. “It was amazing to see how everyone took the inspiration that we had and not only made it their own but took it further,” says Kate.
Highly on-trend, Rodarte takes the #balletcore trend to new heights by combining its designs’ inciting nature with the traditional elegance of the ballet aesthetic. Manifesting hyper-femininity, balletcore is inspired by the details found in theatrical costumes of dancers and their rehearsal attire.
The rise of the trend on social media has designers and celebrities embracing ballerina-inspired looks, including Miu Miu, Simone Rocha, Giambattista Valli and Zimmerman. As for celebs, Alexa Chung, Olivia Rodrigo and Harry Styles have been spotted wearing the timeless classic, with the latter even sporting ballet flats on the cover of his upcoming album.
On social networks alone, balletcore is flooding our feeds with Pinterest reporting that the search volume for this aesthetic has increased 1566% and Tiktok boasting over six million views on the hashtag #balletcore. Fashion and ballet have had an innate relationship tracing back centuries, with ballerinas being the object of cultural fascination since the 1800s, yet ballet-inspired fashion still remains in the moment.
