Photography by Micol Ragni
Who is Micol Ragni?
Fresh from showing at Designer Showrooms at London Fashion week, Italian-born, London-based designer Micol Ragni stands out in the industry for her commitment to a personal creative vision that goes beyond one or two seasons. According to the designer, her eponymous brand is a “medium” to find out more about herself hinged on personal happiness. “It makes virtually no sense to derive your happiness in life by the canons and standards other people have decided for you,” she tells SLEEK. “Life is really just about you discovering yourself.” Launched in 2014, Micol Ragni has carved out a space for itself as a label dedicated to forward-thinking, technologically-advanced clothing designed to empower women.
Ragni’s rise to fame has been swift: she was presenting small capsule collections in Paris, distributed through international boutiques, before Björk got in touch. Needless to mention, things haven’t been the same since. The musical vanguard wore Ragni’s bubble-gum pink “vagina” dress earlier this year on the cover of Icelandic Glamour, and has also worn some of Ragni’s designs on stage, including a lustrous peach “vagina” construction at Primavera Sound.
Photography by Micol Ragni
What is her work about?
Björk isn’t the only performer to inspire Ragni’s work, or wear her clothes for that matter. Punk musician No Bra, erotic muse Tessa Kuragi and HTBX club founder Becky Strauch are among Ragni’s inspirations, and Kelela and Erykah Badu have also stepped out her designs. “I connect with people who I believe would genuinely wear my clothes in the street,” says Ragni, who has a background in electronic music production. And music is integral to her creative process. “Music connects my designs to my ideal tribe. Conversations with my friends always begin with the last gig we went to, the next album we are going to buy, and the party we want to go to at the weekend.”
Photography by Micol Ragni
What is her aesthetic like?
A typical Micol Ragni look consists of sky-high metallic boots, a neoprene bodice, and a softly moulded PVC jacket. “I like to keep my vision clean,” explains Ragni. “I feel closer to a sculptor than a designer.” Indeed, its easy to see the influence of visual artists like Jon Rafman, who uses 3D software to distort statuesque figures, as well as John Chamberlin, who explores the plasticity of industrial materials, in her architectural garments. At times, this lends her work an austere, even “dark” aesthetic, which Ragni wholeheartedly embraces: “If we associate ‘dark’ with any kind of clothing that does not envision a woman looking pretty and girly and adorable and sweet, then the answer is yes: my work is absolutely dark”. Interestingly, there is also a connection to the natural world and biology in her designs. Björk’s Primavera Sound “vagina” dress, cut from hyper-glossy PVC, was designed using the Fibonacci sequences – the mathematical formula present in nature.
Photography by Micol Ragni
Why does her work matter now?
Cut from an array of shiny, sensual textures and unusual materials, Ragni’s distinctive geometric structures and voluminous designs are darkly subversive. Her clothes offer a glimpse of an alternative near-future, beyond patriarchy, free from the constrictions of the male gaze and liberated from the suffocating restrictions of binary systems. Her ensembles — typically consisting of swathes of material, cut-outs and unexpected folds — are designed to empower women, imparting a rebellious energy that captures a sense of magnetic multiplicity. “I believe understanding our inner dualities is at the core of positive change both in our individual lives and as a society,” confirms the designer. “We are living in a generation that is fighting to overcome all types of binary systems.” Undoubtedly, it’s this forward-thinking spirit that gives Ragni’s designs an edge — she’s conscious of abandoning the constraints of the past. “It is necessary to bring our attention to the future. I see too many people under the spotlight escaping into useless nostalgia for a past that will never exist again.” Instead, for Ragni, the future is a dimension of fruitful uncertainty. “The future is an open and undefined concept. There is a lot more freedom in the future than in the past. I design to hold onto this spirit of freedom, dreaming to manifest the unknown.” And, for sure, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Ragni and her liberated vision.