Francesca Montanari is the artist/designer/illustrator behind the name Ratmusquè. She lives in Italy in the countryside but spends half of the year in Los Angeles. Five years ago she began this project about clothing design. She wanted to combine her art with her love for clothing and the result of this fusion is Ratmusque’, a unique, handmade work to wear and to interpret. Each item is born from a playful, personal and artistic research so there is no “collection” but rather it’s a world view where art, film and street-fashion become the inspiration for her work. Francesca works mostly with vintage and second-hand pieces because she thinks it’s important, in these days, the idea of recycling, and being part of it. The nature of her work makes each item unique and impossible to duplicate, making more of a whimsical artwork than a fashion accessory or garment.
She also makes greeting cards for redcap (redcapcards.com) and indirock band posters for redbird (redbirdmm.com). You can see some of her work at www.myspace.com/francescamontanari.com
photos by Cesare Fabbri