A Collection Lifted from Our Childhood Daydreams: Backstage @ Claudia Li

Way back in 2018, we ducked into a buzzing New York presentation for a then-up-and-coming designer we were told we’d love. Claudia Li’s world (fresh, feminine, a little offbeat) had us hooked from the jump.

Fast forward seven years, and we’re backstage in Aotearoa New Zealand, watching hair get smoothed and bows get steamed ahead of her first-ever runway show on home ground. A full-circle moment, yes; but in her own words, “both a return and a new beginning.”

The collection, titled A Different Place and Time, moves like memory. Familiar Li signatures, like oversized bows, sculptural mushroom skirts, puffed sleeves that feel like wearable air, are back, but softened. Refined. A new perspective on the past.


And it wouldn’t be a Claudia Li show without a model lineup that feels as thoughtful as the clothes. Cast by our friend and photographer Apela Bell, you'll spot a bevy of familiar faces in the gallery above.

Photos: Chloe Hill