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.
