Maria Cornejo Knows Vacation
By
May 21, 2010
PHOTO BY MARK BORTHWICK
Spring 2010 has proved a milestone for designer Maria Cornejo. Not only did she introduce menswear into her earthy, architectural Zero line, but also debuted her first swimwear collection which, if you can believe it, features geometric suits that you can actually wear while swimming.
“It’s all been an organic progress,” said Cornejo during last night’s launch party at her Bleecker Street boutique. Wearing one of her taupe bikini tops beneath a drapey silk jumpsuit, she explained, “I kept looking for swimwear and I just couldn’t find anything that I liked. I’m pretty minimal but the minimal things were too boring and then everything else was totally overdesigned. I tried to get somewhere in the middle.”
Amidst violet tinted photographs that Cornejo’s husband, photographer Mark Borthwick, took of their children playing in the ocean on a family trip to Costa Rica hung sporty-chic bandeau tops, color-blocked boy shorts and an asymmetrical black and white striped one-piece. The sharp cuts, ribbon straps and neutral palette (although, Cornejo did include a few pops of purple just to spice things up) mimicked the clean lines and easy dresses found in her ready-to-wear collection. Cornejo stressed that the suits were, “All about cut, Every cut is there for a reason and it does something to flatter the body. It’s not just about design for me. It’s always about flattering the woman.”
Asked whether Zero + Maria Cornejo had any other upcoming surprises, the designer replied with an emphatic yes. “But I’m not allowed to talk about it because I don’t want to jinx it!” LEFT: CORNEJO AND HER DAUGHTER, BIBI
