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Design Blog Design Blog » Rodarte

Behind the Scenes of Quicktake: Rodarte

The making of any exhibition is a fascinating and complex project. This video gives you a sense of what happened behind the scenes in the run up to the opening of Quicktake: Rodarte. Hear from Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Acting Director Caroline Baumann and Curator Gregory Krum.

Let us know what you think about this video and the exhibition.

Rodarte in Conversation with Sally Singer

Laura Mulleavy, one of the designers behind Rodarte and Vogue’s fashion news and features director, Sally Singer were at Cooper-Hewitt this past Saturday discussing Rodarte’s work. You can watch the full program below:

Rodarte is featured in an exhibition at Cooper-Hewitt through March 14, 2010.

Rodarte party

Fashion Week closed with a big, fabulous bang last night at Cooper-Hewitt where Laura and Kate Mulleavy graced us with their extraordinary craft and design. While some of the media expressed amazement at the likes of Anna Wintour, Natalie Portman, Kirsten Dunst, Spike Jonze, and Kim Gordon attending the Rodarte party at 91st and Fifth, we know that they simply know good design when they see it.

See Quicktake: Rodarte through March 14.


Designers Laura & Kate Mulleavy. Photo: Patrick McMullan


Laura Mulleavy, Kate Mulleavy, Sally Singer, Kim Gordon, Pete Nordstrom, Caroline Baumann, Lizzie Tisch, Natalie Portman. Photo: Patrick McMullan


Laura Mulleavy, Kate Mulleavy, & Anna Wintour. Photo: Patrick McMullan


Kirsten Dunst & Caroline Baumann. Photo: Patrick McMullan


Justin Theroux. Photo: Patrick McMullan


“Quicktake: Rodarte” installation. Photo: Carmel Wilson

Rodarte show

Rodarte show was like no other—breathtakingly beautiful materials in muted tones combined to communicate a dreamy state. Gorgeous pieces with surprising, mixed use of knits, lace, felt and silk. Fabulous from start—with invitation design by Patrick Li using personalized wax finish—and eerily gorgeous roundels of light emanating from the back wall, to conclusion with high heels, dangerously balanced on wax particles on the floors, illuminated magically…to everyone’s delight!

Quicktake: Rodarte - Behind the Scenes Part 2

Before any mannequin dressing begins, proper museum protocol regarding the intake of objects must be followed. The process generally goes like this:

First, the boxes or crates are opened in a clean and secure gallery or room that has environmental controls (including a specific relative humidity and temperature). The entire uncrating process is always photographed, both for replication purposes when the exhibition is over, and to make sure that any problems are documented immediately.


Exhibition Registrar Melanie Fox photographs the opening of our first Rodarte container.

Next, the contents of the box or container are always checked against the packing list which accompanies the shipment.

The contents of the first box we opened included some incredible things – like the Christian Louboutin and Nicholas Kirkwood shoes, amazing knit tights, and handcut leather leggings. We swooned…

After confirming the contents of the container, we immediately write condition reports for all objects. The reports usually list packing details, as well as any damages or flaws. The person writing the report must be very familiar with the appropriate lexicon to use regarding the type of object, as well as have excellent visual skills. Both written notes and record photographs are taken.

Volunteers from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s graduate program in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory and Museum Practice help out with this time consuming process. Nicole writes the condition report for a skirt from Rodarte’s Fall/Winter 2008 collection while Sarah photographs a jacket from the Fall/Winter 2009 collection.

I was lucky enough to have secured the Carnegie mansion’s “Teak Room” for dressing the mannequins. This moody and mysterious room with its amazing wood carvings and stenciled wall paper is the perfect place to be dressing Rodarte’s most deconstructed and destroyed pieces.


Volunteer Alexis writing condition reports in the “Teak Room”. Notice the Kirkwood and Louboutin shoes on the teak alter…a fitting place for such creations I think.