“PHASE II”

New York Fashion Week

Spring Summer 2020

Spring/Summer 2020 marks a new chapter for Claudia Li. Reflecting on the past four years of the brand’s evolution, as well as her personal upbringing, designer Claudia Li revisits signature themes and enlists new ones to capture the truest essence of her, and her brand’s, identity.

 Bold denim returns in structural shapes and a white-pigment-spray treatment. Pleated, layered skirts are seen in transparent printed lamé, PU, and PU-coated mesh. Meanwhile knit jacquard and oversized windbreakers incorporate technical fabrics with an element of surprise, displaying the brand’s “Hidden Logo” in sky blue or opera mauve hues when their UV-reactive fabrics are exposed to sunlight.

 True to the brand, wide-leg pants, tailored jackets, and pleated skirts in new variations are present. They feature Spring/Summer’s main print, inspired by a photo of Li’s parents in their 20s. Her mother in a batik print floral dress, a thick braid wrapped like a crown around her forehead. Overlapped with Plumeria flowers and graphic lines — a reference to shadows cast on the old photo through the windows of Li’s Midtown studio — the print flows effortlessly across easy silhouettes in silk jacquard, chiffon, and cotton sateen.

Accessories further speak to the made-in-New-York brand by way of paracord-braided handbags, including a new pleated “dumping” shape, as well as sandals made in partnership with TEVA. Wide-brimmed hiking hats nod to Li’s love of nature. Signature bow details are seen tied at the neck and frame the face, thanks to a pliable wire frame. And finally, utilitarian, oversized, removable pockets are featured on jumpsuits, inspired by the uniform of the brand’s factory workers. Together, it’s a blend of practicality, independence, and love of self-expression that’s key to Claudia Li’s playful DNA.