Maria Cornejo is embarking on a massive archive project in her Brooklyn Navy Yard studio, featuring racks of clothing she has been working on since her design beginnings at London label Richmond Cornejo in the late 1980s. Cornejo’s output has a cyclical nature; She often revisits old silhouettes, but a slouchy variation with stand-up pleated detail at the shoulders in her new Pre-Fall collection feels like a particularly deep cut. “Everyone is loving the ’80s,” she said at a showroom appointment, which was also attended by Cornejo.
Other refreshing shapes include full-legged, high-waisted pants with a diagonal zip in the front and a bubble skirt with a smocked waist and an elastic hem that lightly references the ’80s. However, don’t mistake it for retro. Cornejo’s focus is on the here and now, which is why she is one of New York fashion’s standard bearers for sustainable design. A summery, airy-light polyester has become her go-to fabric; This season she was able to get a partially recycled version for the first time. Every little bit counts.
The big story for them this season is colour. Much of it remained on the rack and wasn’t photographed for the lookbook, but trust me the sunflower yellow of the easy-to-wear V-neck dress in Ripple Gauge is just as vibrant as the Yves Klein blue of the ’80s off the shoulder dress , which is visible in the look. One. Also attractive is a new navy and gold jacquard and silk circa 2014 graphic print that Cornejo has reissued using a digital inkjet process that produces less waste than traditional screen-printing. Say it again with me: Every little bit matters.
