There’s a sharp geometry to the designs in Maria Cornejo’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection for her line Zero + Maria Cornejo. The Chilean-born designer, based in New York, was inspired by a return to simplicity in response to the overcommunication in the digital age. It’s rare nowadays that a single line connects two people, but in Cornejo’s collection the power is in single lines. Shoulders are rounded, sleeves are straight, no frills or excess, encapsulating her inspiration and proving there are designers who still understand the consistency and vision a collection is supposed to have.
Cornejo uses rich textures throughout the collection, like leathers, woven wools, jacquards and shearlings, with a focus on black, intertwined with bolts of blue, red, and gray. She also plays with heavily graphic prints, some just black and white, some leaping into color with kaleidoscope effect. Each look was punctuated by handmade sterling silver headpieces, cuffs, and necklaces by Victoria Simes. Pieces in the collection seamlessly connect and tell the story of what Cornejo sees in the future.
Makeup, by Romy Soleimani for Beauty.com, featured the Kevyn Aucoin line: a quiet blue eyeliner with bright pink cheek. Hair by Martin Cullen was a sleek ponytail with a sharply defined, geometric part, using PHYTO products and T3 tools, both also available on Beauty.com. Nails by Deborah Lippman were a subtle, textured grey that almost looked like a popcorn ceiling (Deborah Lippman products are on Beauty.com, too!).
Favorite looks on the runway include a bright red circular jacket, the Lida Jumper, in brushed mohair topping the Jessa silk crepe dress in a complementary red tone as well as the Nadja dress, featuring a sheer black macrame knit top in a deep V and black ball skirt, shorter in the front, that has just a hint of shimmer.
With this collection, Cornejo proves that one does not have to stray from elegance while seeking progress and modernity, an idea that ensures the staying power of her designs in the future.
Click here to see snaps from backstage and on the runway.