This week, Rodarte shared a #throwback Instagram photo from one of Kate Mulleavy's childhood birthday parties. She's in a pink dress, and kids mill about her on a dusty California hill, no doubt engaged in some imaginary world of Kate's making. It seems every Rodarte collection starts in the sisters' memory bank, and AW13 was especially personal. Through their work we've seen pieces of scenes from the Mulleavy sisters' Santa Cruz, but these new 'very personal' clothes are the closest fashion comes to autobiography.

Butthole Surfer's 'Pepper' opened the show, and the lyrics "You never know just how you look through other people's eyes" couldn't have been more apt. References to Cali vibes were clear: silk tie dye gowns, studded leather jackets, and hand-knit alpaca sweaters all clearly connected to their line of influence. Road trip to Burning Man! But some details were more mysterious, from parts of the designers' mental quiver to which we are not privy. Barbed wire scarf clips, an acid wash wizard cape, and high-cut leotards have some historical significance, but for now they remain family secrets. Dying to know about the one girl with yellow-and-orange streaked hair. I'm from the opposite end of the country, but the details of reflection gave each look deeper meaning. And isn't that what art is? Translating intensely personal experiences so that your audience feels like they're seeing part of themselves.

www.rodarte.net

Makeup: James Kaliardos 

Hair: Odile Gilbert 

Models pictured: Iris van Berne at Next (@irisvberne), Daria Stokous at Women Model Mgmt (@DariaStokous), Tilda Lindstam at IMG (@tildalindstam), Chloe Norgaard at One (@ChloeNorgaard), Cara Delevingne at Women Model Mgmt (@Caradelevingne),  Lindsey Wixson (@lindseywixson), Georgia Hilmer (@georgiahilmer), Elinor Weedon (@ElinorWeedon), Meghan Collison (@meghancollison), Aline Weber (@alineweber_real), Elza Luijendijk (@elzaluijendijk), Ginta Lapina (@GintaLapina)