Collaboration Alert: Rodarte for Black Swan

If ever there was a creative match made in heaven, this would be it-romantic young label Rodarte designing for ballet-horror film Black Swan. For a label that specializes in ethereal, tutu-esqu gowns, it’s unsurprising that the girls have described this as their “dream film”, with the pair attributing the success of the collaboration to their “affinity for the subject matter”. But as with all costume design, especially when there is dancing involved, there has to be a certain level of compromise between the visually powerful and the practical. Whilst the Mulleavy sisters remember their struggle to find a replacement for an extremely heavy chrome crown (they ended up using lightweight burnt copper) Mila Kunis, one of the stars of the film, revealed that not everything was about practically; “Given that it is in a movie and it is a certain form of disbelief. The (dresses) had no straps. So, the busts kept constantly falling, you know. And so you make it work. You figure it out. But they were beautiful.” Judging from the beautiful illustrations the pair shared with style.com, (and the Academy Award buzz the designs have generated) the sisters have succeeded in creating something worthy of their considerable talents.

Scarlett Hirst