“It’s all about showing skin in the weirdest parts of the body; places that you wouldn’t normally look at.”
Waking up in the middle of the night to sketch abstract thoughts and visions, Claudia Ligari is the Italian womenswear designer with minimalist style and an avant garde aesthetic. Making clothes for her dolls as a little girl, Ligari has always known she was destined to start her own label. Graduating from Milan’s Istituto Marangoni in 2004, the young designer worked part time at Missoni before relocating to London to assist at Alexander McQueen. Quickly learning the importance of organisation and the strict discipline involved when piecing together a prêt-à-porter collection at McQueen, Claudia was inspired to start her own.
Studying the conceptual, anonymous work of her hero Martin Margiela, whilst exploring abstract references from cult artist Lucio Fontano, Claudia began to understand what would come to define her self-titled label. Translating the dislocated signature, slashed techniques from Lucio into her Spring/Summer collection and the monochrome sensibilities of Margiela, Claudia’s simple style was born. Creating lightweight garments, her looks boldly expose flesh in contained, intimate areas of the body. Combining strong impact materials such as leather and pvc and imposing forms that hide the figure but allow the silhouette to remain visible, the clothes are dynamic and intelligent (see the collection in all its glory here); crafted for the woman who wants to make an impact without speaking a word.
i-D Online dropped in on the designer to find out her plans for the season ahead.
