Claire Desjardins is a Canadian award-winning abstract painter whose studio sits one hour north of Montreal, surrounded by the nature and colour that runs through every piece she makes. In 2019 she launched her wearable art clothing collection, translating her actual paintings directly onto women's clothing. The prints are not inspired by art. They are art, produced on a canvas before they are produced on fabric.
At Experience Boutique we fell for Claire Desjardins the moment we understood what it actually was. This is not a fashion brand that has commissioned an artistic print. It is an artist who has made her work wearable. Every bold brushstroke, every uplifting colour combination, every painterly composition on the clothing started life on Claire's canvas in her Quebec studio. Wearing a piece from this collection means wearing an original work of fine art in the most literal sense. That is a rare thing to be able to say about anything.
The collection spans tops, blouses, jackets, coats, scarves and kimonos, all featuring Claire's signature abstract prints in seasonal colourways that reflect her evolving body of work. Practical details are considered throughout: natural fibres, comfortable necklines, and pockets are consistent features, reflecting the brand's commitment to clothing that is as wearable in real life as it is striking in a room. The pieces work beautifully as statement items alongside simpler wardrobe foundations, or together as coordinating sets.
Claire's background as a graphic designer before she became a full-time artist is evident in how the prints translate from canvas to cloth. The compositions are bold without being chaotic, and the colours are chosen with the kind of eye that understands how tones interact at different scales, in different lights, and against different skin tones. These are prints that were made by someone who has spent years understanding colour at a profound level.
The clothing launched in 2019 and has grown into the best-selling brand within Claire's distribution partner's portfolio, distributed to boutiques across Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. That growth is earned. Once someone discovers Claire Desjardins, they tend to keep discovering it.
