Maria Cornejo s new Resort collection for Zero + Maria Cornejo is a testament to the power of a good vacation. She went on a family trip to Jamaica earlier this year and brought home a favorite souvenir in the form of a traditional mask. It appears in multiple guises on her new clothes: as a graphic multicolor print that looks very much like the original; in an abstracted jacquard that picks up some of its bright colors; and in a black-and-white version of the pattern that looks more like an orchid flower than a mask. The variations on a theme gave the collection a nice sense of unity, but more important, they ll appeal to Cornejo s diverse customer base. The designer has embraced print in a big way in recent years, but some of her clients prefer the subtlety (safety?) of basic black.
Even they, however, might be seduced by Cornejo s gorgeous colors this season. Partially inspired by the Jamaican flag, she put together a silk dress in wide horizontal stripes of green, chartreuse, royal blue, and purple. It practically radiated. Only slightly less bold was another dress color-blocked in pink and red. Many of the silhouettes will be familiar to Cornejo followers, but she s pushing herself in a couple of new directions, adding a frill to the hem of a cocoon dress—it s not quite a ruffle, but almost—and on the opposite end of the spectrum, cutting a pantsuit in oversize, boyish proportions. The pant legs especially are quite full. An energized collection all around.
