In her new comedy horror film 'Forbidden Fruits,' director Meredith Alloway builds a world where mall boutiques become modern-day covens. The wardrobe, she notes, had to be 'witchy in nature,' a directive that led her directly to the ethereal designs of Rodarte. This choice connects a contemporary cinematic vision to a long history of lingerie-inspired fashion as a symbol of feminine power and mystique. Rodarte, founded by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy in 2005, draws on a legacy of delicate, almost architectural construction that echoes the foundational work of 20th-century houses like Cadolle, which pioneered the concept of the modern bra.
Alloway's characters, named Cherry, Apple, and Fig, work at a store called Free Eden—a nod to the bohemian aesthetics of Free People. This setting itself is a cultural artifact, recalling the late 20th-century mall as a social ecosystem. The director’s specific mention of a 'baby pink thong' as a plot point in the original play is telling. Such an item, now a wardrobe staple, carries the weight of its own evolution from hidden undergarment to a visible fashion statement, a transition championed by brands like Victoria's Secret in the 1990s.
The collaboration with Rodarte, which caused the costume team to jump for joy, underscores a central theme: the creation of a sartorial world. Just as a curator examines how a 1920s silk camisole spoke to new freedoms, we can see how Alloway uses contemporary lace and drapery to define her characters' sisterhood. The film uses fabric and form to hyperbolize feeling, continuing lingerie's enduring role as a second skin upon which identity, rebellion, and community are intimately projected.
Originally reported by WWD