Sun, sea, and sand are always on the horizon at Johanna Ortiz. For Fall, the Colombian designer had a picture-postcard backdrop in her mind’s eye, namely Arusí, a remote agrarian paradise on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Inspired by that landscape, the new offering’s earthy palette of russet brown and forest green was consistent with the bigger color story of the season, both in Europe and New York. Ortiz is a passionate lover of floral prints—each season she infuses a rare exotic flower into the collection—though this time she used hand-carved wooden canoes and malocas, the distinctive homes of the region’s indigenous communities, to create her own toile. It was a clever way to shake 16th-century motifs from their Eurocentric, pastoral roots, and that revisionist tableau looked modern and fresh on gently fluted day dresses. (The custom toile also appeared on the hessian rugs that lined the floors of the gorgeous Paris apartment where Ortiz held her presentation.)
Oritz broke new ground with her approach to embellishment, as well. Spun with a web of tiny green Perspex tiles, her “fisherman’s net” dress was a colorful update on the idea of chain mail, and the mini crocheted purses were a complementary partner. The crisp cotton hand of Oritz’s ruffled peasant blouses was revisited in black taffeta for evening and lent a pleasing, dramatic tone to one of her most popular signatures.
Beyond driving her own business forward, the designer is committed to growing a creative community in her homeland. After collaborating with Paola Mendoza and Galería Cano for Spring, Ortiz invited Colombian accessories designer Andrea Vargas of Monolito into the fold for Fall. Worn as statement necklaces, the sculptural perfume vials were a cool foil for the romantic dresses. Though the tiny bottles were left empty, Ortiz is planning to make her own scent with Vargas. It isn’t the first time the designer has dipped her toe in the world of beauty—she made custom lipsticks with her makeup-guru friend Aerin Lauder. As Ortiz continues to build her brand on the world stage, smart lifestyle partnerships like these will set her apart from the rest.
