Many of us are feeling a renewed urge to dress up. It means different things for different people, be it a pair of heels, a statement hat, or even an old fur. Yes, real fur, in addition to faux, seems to be back on the New York streets. Maria Cornejo is feeling for a more polished look too, but you can trust that she won’t be using animal fur. Among her fellow designers, she’s a leader in responsible sourcing.
On the responsibility front, take a gander at the sleeveless v-neck dress in look 13 that Cornejo patchworked together from different colored rolls of viscose-acetate eco drape she found in her warehouse; it’s a limited edition beauty. Or consider the black recycled polyester and cotton jacket and top smocked with metallic gold fibers that she had custom-made in France—more proof that you can sparkle while designing and dressing sustainably. As macro-economic forces have made business more challenging for independent designers, talk of sustainability has fallen to the wayside, but it’s not a passing trend here.
Years ago Cornejo began using iPhone photos as prints on her clothes. This season’s version, seen on an easy-wearing silk midi dress, is an abstract rendering of the peeling ad posters at her Bed-Stuy subway stop. Her collection notes explain it was made using a digital inkjet print process, which produces less waste than traditional screen-printing. She picked up some of the colors in the print for some of the standout pieces here, including the marigold yellow of a recycled polyester top and matching draped skirt and the forest green of a cotton broadcloth ruched sheath. Also striking and out-of-the-ordinary for Cornejo: a flared-leg black jumpsuit with a peekaboo back.
For those not feeling the impulse to flash a bit of skin or otherwise turn it out, among Cornejo’s more casual options is a circular denim made from industrial waste and pre-consumer waste cotton. The jacket in the new fabric has a cocoon shape—covered up, but still guaranteed to be noticed.
