Last night, the cast and crew of Real Women Have Curves gathered at the James Earl Jones Theater in New York. It was opening night for the new musical, an adaptation of the play written by Josefina López, which was also made into a 2002 film starring America Ferrera. The show, about a first-generation Mexican-American girl and her family, is a particularly important one for this political moment. Often comedic, it portrays the joys and struggles that immigrant families encounter in this country every day, especially right now, when everything—their livelihood, their personhood, their sense of belonging—is at stake. Its stars include Tatianna Córdoba, Florencia Cuenca, and Justina Machado, with music written by Benjamin Velez and six-time Latin Grammy and Grammy award winning artist Joy Huerta. She is the first Mexican woman to write original music for a Broadway show.
When it came time for Huerta to decide what she’d wear to the opening, she immediately thought of Cuban-American designer Narciso Rodriguez. Though he officially closed his namesake label during the pandemic, Rodriguez has been quietly crafting custom pieces for private clients, some of whom, like Huerta, come to him looking for fashion that is personal and intentional. For last night’s event, Rodriguez designed a piece that was inspired by his archive from 2018: a tailored black jumpsuit with a curved low neckline and an open t-shaped strap at the back, as well as a matching cropped jacket.
“I was such a fan and just so—what’s the word—geeked out to meet her,” Rodriguez said over the phone a couple of days before the premiere. “I grew up with strong Latin women and she embodies all of those women who inspire me to do what I do today.” Rodriguez initially thought that the piece from his archive would be perfect for Huerta because it is, as he describes, “strong” yet “unusual” due to the fact that jumpsuits aren’t usually so tailored. “I don’t think she’d ever seen a garment like that,” Rodriguez noted, something Huerta confirmed herself.
In fact, the jumpsuit was the first thing Huerta tried on in the designer’s studio, explaining that “it was love at first sight.” She added, “Narciso is such an amazing talent and a fashion icon with such close ties to New York. He came to one of the previews and we had an immediate connection.”
Rodriguez has always been known for his approachable charm and his ability to make women feel like the best, most comfortable versions of themselves. While many would categorize his designs as minimalist, they’re painstakingly tailored and perfected—the kinds of so-called “quiet” clothes that sing when they’re on a body.
Just look at the cultural sensation caused by the wedding dress (a silk bias-cut slip with a cowl neck) that Rodriguez designed for his late, dear friend Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1996. After launching his label the following year, Rodriguez helped define the late 1990s and early 2000s in fashion with a wardrobe made up of taste-defining pieces. Everyone wanted his sharp, not overly hot bodycon dresses, his crisp cropped trousers, his racer-back sequined tank tops, and his shrunken blazers.
The jumpsuit that Rodriguez designed for Huerta last night is a prime example of his ability to create clothes that make women feel as fantastic as they look. While he’s kept his fragrance business and, in 2022, created a capsule collection for Zara, Rodriguez is still on a journey towards what comes next. He says he enjoys the process of commissioned work, whether for friends and private clients or people in the spotlight, like Huerta. “It’s really inspiring to be able to work with someone like Joy,” Rodriguez says. “It’s a different take [on fashion]. I spent my life on a show schedule and meeting deadlines, and now with all the changes to the industry, to retail, with the tariffs, I think it’s a time for me to appreciate the craft and things that are more beautiful and meaningful.”
Still, Rodriguez didn’t shut down the possibility of coming back to fashion in a more formalized way. He also emphasized that he “never wanted to be a creative director—I’ve always wanted to be a designer,” which is exactly what this current stream of work offers him. “It’s a challenge, a different way of work,” Rodriguez added. To love one’s profession and to make something of ourselves, to do it in our own way, on our own terms, no matter the stakes—that’s what the real American dream is all about, isn’t it? Another reason why Rodriguez and Huerta’s collaboration feels so right for this moment.
Rodriguez saw a preview of Real Women Have Curves, but he was excited to see it again, probably multiple times. That said, he did also mention that he had a busy month ahead: “I’ve got to get to work.”
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