With the Cooper-Hewitt Design Award in the bag, Maria Cornejo moved her show from the confines of her tiny NoLIta shop to Bumble and bumble's Meatpacking District salon. As the sun streamed in through the big south-facing windows, she showed a deceptively simple spring collection that confirmed she deserved her prize. Continuing to explore the theme that's occupied her throughout her career—simple geometric shapes and the way they drape on the body—she added novelty in the form of industrial zippers as well as broad bands from which falls of knit jersey and gauzy cotton were draped. They gave the mostly soft, sculptural collection a tough, chic edge. Shoulders were a focal point: A black silk dress and blouse came with circles cut out there, while other coats looked built up in that area. It took a moment for the eye to adjust to the new proportion, but it's those intriguing details that give Cornejo's clothes their appeal.
