Bio

Claudia Rapisarda 2002

cr@claudiarapisarda.com

Claudia's millinery journey started at the age of 20 when she moved to the United States, then on to London, the millinery Capital, where she soaked up as much history as she could by frequenting many hats shops and flea markets. Her travels also led her to Spain to work with designer friends and then back to the US, to study at New York City's Parsons School of Design where she completed her degree in fashion design.

It was in the Big Apple that she worked for renowned milliner Lola, where she mastered all aspects of the trade.

Her work reflects true craftsmanship, and by creating with her own hands, Claudia is reviving a dying art: "Millinery."

Designers such as Gemma Kahng, John Bartlett, Todd Oldham, Basco, Elizabeth Fillmore and Ralph Rucci have invited her to contribute her millinery skills to their runway shows. In 2002, her hats were featured at the NY Fashion Week by designers Paul Chen and Girls Rule (Dollhouse), and in 2001 by Zaldi.

Her hats and jewelry have been worn most recently by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Alicia Keys.

Her complete line is sold worldwide in stores such as Barneys NY, Barneys Japan, Henri Bendel, Nordstrom, Scoop, Calypso, American Rag (US/Japan), Fenwick, Selfridges and Harrods (UK).

Her products are featured in worldwide publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, W, WWD, In Style, Seventeen, Figaro Japan, The New York Times, The Daily News, to name a few.

You can find her designs in the music video of some of today's hottest performers like Macy Grey, Lil' Kim and even on the big screen where Sandra Bullock is seen wearing one of Claudia's hats in "Hope Floats." Her feather headbands are featured in the 2001 Woody Allen's film "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion."

She has been profiled on BBC, Canal Plus, Bloomberg, Metro and MTV televisions, and has been awarded with "The Latina Excellence Award 97" for Latin-American designer of the year and the "Fresh Face Award 98" by Gen Art for one of the accessories designer of the year. She has also been featured among the best milliners, in the book "The Century of Hats" by Susie Hopkins. In July 2001, Waterford Wedgwood invited her to be part of the "Fashion Challenge 2001" in which she had her trademark cocktail hat done in "Jasper" as a one rose vase, to be auctioned for Elton John's AIDS Foundation.

In January 99' Claudia opened her showroom on Fifth Avenue displaying her complete line of Hats, Hair Accessories, Knitwear, Jewelry, Bags, Shoes, as well as Rapi-Kids, her kids line launched in October 97'.

Our Company has one goal: quality in our products and respect towards our customers, employees, contractors and sentient beings.

"Peace is Always in Fashion" (by Lama Gangchen, a Tibetan Buddhist Lama) is part of our label and express our beliefs.

In staying true to this beliefs we aim to create opportunities to help to develop a better planet.