Cardinale

Lidia (1954). Italian designer. She opened her atelier in Brescia 20 years ago. She made her name on the runways in Milan in February 2003. Continuing a family tradition, she cultivated a passion for drawing, a subject which she also teaches. She interprets the trends of the moment, filtering them through her creative sensitivity with very original ideas, combining a very high aesthetic level with steady attention to functionality and comfort. She thinks that the beauty and distinctive features of a garment depend 60% on the choice of fabric. Hers is an elegance that is simple and linear based on refined details: a velvet pantsuit along classic lines, short flower-patterned chiffon dresses with a high belt around the waist, worn with high-heel boots at mid calf. She has also shown small fishnet wool dresses that are seductive and feminine; short Winter coats in black velvet that give a glimpse of shorts and bustiers with laces; a python-patterned trench coat in rabbit skink; and ethnic embroidery on tailored garments. She uses strong colors, often black and brown, and red only in the evening for tailored dresses. At her Milan début, two friends presented her creations: Viviana Beccalossi, the district councilor and vice president of the Lombardy Region, and Patrizia Romani, the wife of the district councilor Paolo Romani. They closed the presentation by coming out together on the runway, one wearing a chalkstripe tailored suit, the other an evening dress. Her atelier in Brescia is often visited by women who are in Italian politics, such as Ombretta Colli.