Johanna Ortiz always brings an inviting tropical vibe to her presentations. There were trays of rum cocktails and tropical fruit floating around each room in the opulent Parisian apartment where she held court yesterday, and a DJ friend spinning Colombian records in the main salon. Ortiz is a dedicated lover of flowers, and she gathered the floral-print looks in alluring vignettes according to type—classic roses in one corner and more exotic varieties in another.
The designer has been pruning the dramatic dimensions of her signature ruffles in the past few seasons in favor of a more pared-back silhouette. The focus was on texture for Spring, with gently pleated details lending a quiet air of romance to evening. Crisp cotton and broderie anglaise A-line maxi dresses took the spirit of her party frocks into the light of day in a way that felt fresh and new.
The designer made a splash with traditional handmade Seville scarves for Fall, and some of that fringing carried through along the edge of silk robe jackets that were paired with cropped trousers, a chic spin on the traditional pajama suit. Ortiz’s clothes are all produced in Cali, Colombia, her hometown, and this season she opened her circle to a new set of fellow Colombian collaborators. Paola Mendoza and Galería Cano made all the earrings and necklaces that were piled on in handfuls and even used as belts in some cases. The pre-Colombian-inspired jewelry was a nice way for the designer to nod to her ancestry and gave the current yen for bohemian talisman an authentic South American shine. Ortiz has a view to the future of her community, too. The mini straw bags were made by a collective of artisans in Caquetá, a former conflict zone on the border of Brazil that is undergoing redevelopment.
