Maria Cornejo has a refreshing approach to fashion.
To the Chilean-born designer, a piece of clothing isn’t about expressing her personal aesthetic as much as it “becomes about the woman who wears it.”
And she knows women’s bodies. “I spend a lot of time trying to figure out cuts that are flattering,” said Cornejo, who was in Denver recently for the fashion show to benefit . She admits to spending countless hours draping and stitching to create a dress that will downplay the hips or waistline — frequently areas women want to camouflage — and show off the shoulders or bustline.
Cornejo says she purposely creates clothes that are not body- or age-specific, and that her customers are typically ages 20 to 75. “I like to see how differently women wear the looks,” she says, whether they’re the young women in her office or customers around the country, such as Michelle Obama, who wear her designs.
Cornejo’s line is called because when she first opened her retail store and line in New York in 1998, she wanted women to think of starting from scratch and building something about them, not her. The clothes are feminine without being flowery. Cornejo likes geometrically cut tops with leggings, draped dresses, sexy swimwear and pieces that can mix and match in a wardrobe.
What about the woman who’s not sure she can wear Cornejo’s sometimes unconventional cuts that expose one shoulder or have a deep cowl back? “She needs to try it on and be more playful,” the designer recommends. “That can be exciting and make her more confident.”
Many of her designs can be worn multiple ways — loose or belted, off-shoulder or on. The designer has an artsy point of view, and with her asymmetric cuts and bold use of color and prints, her clothes will be noticed.
Fabrics are from Japan and Europe, and include ramie and stretch georgette for spring; satin-backed crepe and stretch leather for fall. Most of the clothes are made in the U.S. Hand knits are done in Bolivia, where the company works with a cooperative.
Lately she’s been having fun expressing her artistic side through her prints. She takes photos with her iPhone in museums and on her travels, then has them reproduced on fabric.
For resort and spring, there’s a feather print, a blurry figural print and a rich botanical that came from her visits to the , and to Miami. (She stole away a couple of hours on her Denver trip to visit the so could there be abstract prints in the future?)
“It’s always about finding joy,” she says. “There’s no point in walking around and not feeling good enough. There’s enough doom and gloom in the world. I believe fashion should be optimistic. The whole idea is to feel fantastic.”
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
