Rodarte X & Other Stories SS16

I have  a love-hate relationship with designer collaborations. I love the fact that we mere mortals with less cash than a millionaire can buy into a powerful signature style at a fraction of the usual price. But I hate the fact that they sell out too fast with all the key pieces ending up at crazy prices on eBay.

I love the fact that some collabs get it so right. And I hate the fact that some miss the point completely (you know, those collections that seem to bear little relationship to the designer’s signature style and so make little impact on consumers hungry for that style at an affordable price).

Rodarte X & Other Stories SS16

Which brings me to the & Other Stories X Rodarte collection that launches tomorrow. It had the potential to be one of the weak ones. Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte’s collections are famously detailed in a way that the high street just can’t reproduce (think of the margins).

But it looks like a good one. It’s less ‘frilly’ than you’d expect from full-price Rodarte but it gives the right balance between day and night with key items that can transition from daylight to after-dark. And there’s enough detail in there to feel like more than a regular high street offer.

Rodarte X & Other Stories SS16

Prices are pretty keen – they’re not cheap but considering lots of pieces involve quite complex leather or suede piecing or embellished silk, they could have been much more expensive. So think £245 for a suede jacket, £185 for  a patchwork leather skirt, £39 for a silk velvet bralette top, £195 for a sequinned silk wrap dress, £245 for patchwork ankle boots and £95 for sequinned sandals.

Rodarte X & Other Stories SS16