The Mulleavy sisters look to the past, specifically the Victorian age and the ‘30s, to bring a very ladylike, vintage collection to the catwalk for A/W ’12. This collection is a great example fo the careful balance that Rodarte represents, between maturity and youthfulness, encompassing oversized sweaters, laser-cut leather, ethereal chiffon, heavy shearling and origami tailoring.

The shapes at Rodarte are always excellent: the Mulleavy sisters know tailoring and they know the importance of structure. This collection sees much of that tailoring in nipped-in blazers engineered in soft, heavy wools and structured leather shifts. We love the dusty blue blazer but could live without the EasyJet-esque orange and cream.

While there’s certainly a lot of good design going on in this collection, it just doesn’t shout its brilliance as loudly as their sensational S/S ’12 collection.