Johanna Ortiz held her fall presentation in the gilded salons of a hotel particulier in Paris. She had its plush carpets replicating the collection’s elaborate printed patterns, which she said were drawn from “ikats, suzanis, textiles from all over the world made with ancestral techniques which I’ve been collecting during my travels.”
Ortiz has a background in textile design, so “the artisanal aspect is always present,” she explained. The large abstract motifs which were knitted or jacquarded on slender dresses, long wrap skirts, draped tops and ponchos were made in Peru; artisans around Colombia collaborated in the creation of accessories and jewelry pieces. A beaded belt closing a knitted-jacquard kimono coat worn with matching tunic was handwoven by the Emberá indigenous community in Pereira, Colombia; necklaces were handcrafted using an elaborate age-old technique. Throughout the collection, embroidered pieces were made by women working in the label’s atelier. The designer explained that “we’re a vertical company, and we’ve established an escuela to give seamstresses a professional education.”
Johanna Ortiz started as a resort brand based in Cali, Colombia, known as the capital of salsa dancing. “It’s such a happy place,” said the designer. “At the beginning I was doing lots of frills, ruffles and flamenco influences.” Now the collection has a decidedly more sophisticated, sleeker feel. While not exactly functional, for fall her approach was focused on versatility. A slender, elongated silhouette rendered with intriguing plays of draping and wrapping looked effortlessly dressed up for day, and could turn chic and attractive for an evening occasion, styled with the right accessories. “I want to offer women clothes for different occasions,” said Ortiz. “Clothes have memory, and they can tell as many stories as the occasions for which they were worn.”
