Los Angeles Fashion Brand Rabôt Brings The Art World To Fashion

Jacqueline Rabôt is the founder of Los Angeles-based womenswear brand called Rabôt, which bridges the art and fashion worlds.

The brand collaborates each season with a contemporary art for its collections. They create a scarf, which is the inspiration for the entire collection. Previously, they’ve collaborated with artists like Gena Milanesi , Amelia Lockwood, and Zoe Koke. Since the brand’s founding in 2020, their collections have become more playful.

“I love prints and patterns and have a lot of friends who are artists,” said Rabôt. “We have a female portrait series, so I meet a lot of women. Our collaborations with women artists are a natural progression of the brand—art and fashion mingle together so much.”

They’re known for their feminine clothing with a vintage touch and modern cuts, which are made of deadstock fabrics, as well as eco-friendly materials like recycled polyester, cupro, tencel, organic cotton. The brand makes made-to-order products in small batches. They are all produced in L.A. from pattern makers and sewers in the Garment District to fabric sourced from deadstock fabrics near their studio. Also, they use recycled packaging.

“Locally sourced materials are key to us,” said Rabôt, who is from New Jersey but has lived in L.A. for seven years. “We use a lot of deadstock fabrics, which are discarded from fabric mills. L.A. is home to a lot of deadstock. We also use recycled materials and natural dyes.”

One of their latest collections is called the Phantasia collection, and is inspired by the creative community in L.A. “I wanted something inspired by L.A., it’s a playground with sand, sea, mountains and the city. Phantasia embodies that.”

Recent collection of the Tie Dye Capsule includes colorful items such as the Sur Dress in Tie Dye Mix in purple, pink, and orange. Paradisi Skirt with Iced Lilac is another whimsical summer must-have in the collection.

“Fashion should be playful, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously,” she said.

By popular demand, the Mesh Palama Dress with Red Cherub has been brought back. The dress features a photorealistic cherub design by Zoe Koke, an L.A.-based artist.

“Each season we start with the scarf designed by the artist,” explains Rabôt. “We give the artist an overarching theme of what we want the collection to be themed around and I have a color palette in mind. The artist and I will work together based on the concept to create the artwork for the scarf.”

They also have an editorial project on their website called The Rabôt Female Portrait Series, which was launched in 2021. For each post under the Journal section of their website, the brand visits inspiring, creative female leaders in their homes—from artists to activists, stylists, musicians, and photographers. “We have featured over 40 women in the portrait series,” she said. “We have photo shoots with women once a week, featuring inspiring female creatives in L.A. We select anyone we find inspiring. Anybody I find inspiring is welcome. We invite them to bring a friend that inspires them to the photo shoot and dress them in Rabôt. The intention is to highlight their story.”

They’ve interviewed duos like Stella Banderas, the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, alongside her friend Colette Lathan, a creative working in television development. They’ve also featured Sylvie Sérant and Porsche Little, Jasmine Rutledge and Tatyana Cooper, and Amanda Lim and Priya Satiani.

The fashion industry is not geared towards women, who are responsible for the majority of the creative energy in fashion. “In terms of CEOs and higher up in the fashion world, women are overlooked,” said Rabôt. “On the lower levels, there are a lot of women. But it’s hard to work your way up.”

Rabôt, a designer who has worked in design roles for brands like Free People and Ralph Lauren, always knew she wanted to found her own sustainable fashion brand. “I love color and I love patterns, our collections are always so vivid,” she said.

She wanted to be creative and collaborate. Amelia Lockwood is a ceramicist. For their Fall/Winter 2020 collection, she will work with Avery Wheless who is creating a scarf inspired by an oil painting.

Rabôt sells with retailers across the country, from California’s Fred Segal, to Lisa Says Gah!, Isalis, Assembly in New York and Felt in Illinois. Vasquiat is a Spanish platform that sells pre-ordered collection in Europe.

“The scarf creates a jumping off point for color; we are known for our prints,” said Rabôt. “That’s what drives the collection.”

The brand will launch a new project during Art Basel Miami Beach, in December. “We are aligned with the art world, and Miami,” she said. “Collaboration is the key to everything; it elevates my brand.”