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 BY TIFFANY HALL |  | | | | | Zero's Hero: The Constructions of Cornejo | | | | | | | For modern mavens seeking fashion most fine, 'tis prime time in '09. Here this, Miss, all boring basics ban to make room for gorgeous new fruit of the loom. Seem like a task you’ll greet with resentment? In a sartorial second, thy shalt know contentment. The effort required to look chic? Zero. That's Zero+Maria Cornejo, the understated yet undeniably luxurious line that aptly encompasses flattering femininity whilst retaining a sharp, architectural aesthetic.
For unpretentious ready-to-wear, looketh here, dear. As numbers go, there's none like zero. Neither adding nor subtracting, zero is spare and simple, yet a point of departure for which designer Maria Cornejo's vision may swell oh-so-well. Zero, a moniker with metaphorical roots in Cornejo's personal aesthetic of minimalist modernity, is the starting point from which she has steadily worked to bring forth vibrant creations from season to season. Cornejo's collections are a product of her own international inspirations drawn from experiences living and working in London, Paris, and New York as well as her work as a creative consultant for major retailers in Milan and Tokyo. The work has been varied…very. Yet what has emerged from the mind of Maria has manifested into collections of sublimely streamlined sophistication. Prettily precise, these clothes retain an intelligence and a permanence that is quite elusive and often sought yet rarely bought. In her smart yet surprising constructions, sharp cuts and angles are applied to sumptuous fabrics with volume and circular shapes at the conceptual core. We adamantly adore. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cornejo’s philosophy is thoughtfully multi-faceted. Carefully combining the creative inclinations of an artist with the rational sensibility of a consumer, she succeeds in endowing her devotees with sensible, chic ready-to-wear for easy transitions from day to night and from season to season. “It’s about seeing things from an intellectual point of view, working with geometry and volume and shape,” says Cornejo. “On a female level, I create things that I would want to wear and things for the girls and the women that I know.” Her own self-proclaimed “designer’s point of view” is artistic; it involves decisions regarding shapes, fabrics, and draping techniques. Yet, this art is definitely smart. Says Cornejo, “You don’t want to feel like a slave to fashion. I’m against clothing for clothing’s sake.” Cornejo is objective and real as she intelligently relates her take on the values held by discerning purchasers of designer pieces. She knows that, commercially and realistically, clothing has a function to perform. “Clothes don’t live unless they’ve been worn; I don’t see the point for them existing otherwise. Fashion is artistic, yet it shouldn’t hang on a wall; it should be a living thing.”
Hailing originally from Chile, Cornejo has seen the evolution of her line and the flocking of fans to don her designs in a relatively short period of time. In an industry that moves at lightning speed yet often delays success for many working in the design arena, this deserving darling has earned a renowned reputation with a rightful cause for current celebration. With Cornejo's transformation of an unfinished Nolita space into an atelier back in 1998, she started (not quite) from Zero and the line has been lauded liberally in the interim. Cornejo was honored as a Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award Winner in 2006 and successfully opened her second store in New York's far-west Village the same year. This season marks Zero's tenth anniversary, to be commemorated with the inauguration of a new store and atelier at 33 Bleecker Street in Manhattan. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | So it is this year that we toast to cheers, with a prêt-a-porter party of versatile wearables that will transition perfectly from this season to the next, and beyond. After all, dressing must not be a fuss, femme. With Zero's snug shirtdresses, simple sheaths and breezy, belted dresses, it's a cinch. Modern statement-makers include high-waisted cropped trousers and leather numbers that are both sharp and slick, as well as breezy billowing numbers that are flowing and forgiving. A black washed silk jumpsuit gets a vote for its versatility; a perfect option it doth make for leisure in the cocktail lounge or lingering in that friend's luxe loft. Looking for prints charming? Cornejo offers pieces adorned with bold geometric shapes and splashed with dynamic ombre effects. Simpler, yet substantially chic, are her dramatic black-and-white permutations, featuring plaids, polka dots, and painterly graphics.
A wide-ranging wonder, Cornejo’s lovely line calls to one and all. Zero’s hero necessarily knows the preferences of her fan base and willingly obliges their whims. “I get a kick out of everyone wearing my clothes; people of different ages and different body types, “ Cornejo effuses. “I’m a consumer, so I believe that clothes need to have a life. Things that are well-designed become part of your lifestyle; clothes aren’t successful if they’re not worn, they don’t work.”
‘Tis all in the math, mademoiselle. Subtract all the excess with these refined designs. For ready-to-wear that's ready to go, add in a little Zero. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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