Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret (born 1962) is a French fashion designer.

His fashion training consisted of three months in a Parisian fashion college in 1979. In the 1980s Mouret worked as creative director with Gai Pied Hebdo, a Paris-based gay publication, and was an Act Up activist. When he left school to begin designing, he lacked skill in garment construction yet had "a native awareness of sensuality" that allowed him to create "irresistible" clothing. Sharai and André Meyers bought his line in 1998. After seven years and a move to New York, Mouret introduced his Galaxy dress in his Spring 2006 collection. Less than two months after the dress's runway debut, Mouret split with his backers in a move that shocked the fashion world. Mouret cited "managerial differences", but neither he nor the Meyerses has ever elaborated on the cause of the break-up.

After Mouret left his label, he took a two-year hiatus. He found a new backer in Simon Fuller and planned a comeback under the name RM by the designer Roland Mouret. (His previous backers had retained the rights to the Roland Mouret brand.) Before the bona fide launch of his new line, Mouret undertook small design engagements to pique public interest. He partnered with Bergdorf Goodman for a one-time-only consignment in which he personally signed each of the 36 dresses. He escorted Jacquetta Wheeler to the Met Costume Institute ball; she wore a long version of the Bergdorf dress. Mouret also designed a limited-edition dress line for the Gap.

The launch of RM by the designer Roland Mouret was designed as a global interactive event. Its inaugural fashion show was held on July 4, 2007 in Paris and featured 21 "easy-chic", geometric dresses. The next day, the show was available on the internet, and consumers could pre-order the garments on a website. The collection was an enormous success, with some pieces selling out within hours.