Featuring colorful ginkgo flower prints on cascading origami folds, Johanna Ortiz’s Fall 2015 collection takes us on an elegant journey. Speaking with the Colombian designer during her spring ski break with her three boys in Colorado, USA, Style.com/Arabia discusses Ortiz’s approach to design, her Fall 2015 collection, and what is the “right” skin to show.
ON HER CAREER IN FASHION BEGINNING WITH A LOVE OF FABRIC
I always loved fabrics—when I was a little girl, everything that my mother bought would be too hot or uncomfortable, and one day, I decided to turn my interest in textiles into designing fashion. I studied at Parsons School of Design in New York. Because my hometown in Columbia is really small, it was important for me to be in NYC; it really opened my mind to the business.
ON HER BRAND’S ETHOS
My brand invites women to have fun. It has three dimensions: feminine, elegant, and a sexy twist.
ON SHOWING THE “RIGHT” SKIN
I like to show a bit of skin, but it has to be the proper skin—not the whole skin. I think that women might think that legs are the most important assets to feature but I think that the shoulders are really nice. Shoulders are very important for my women. When I look to inspiration, I look back to the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, or ball gowns from the 1950s, when women wore a lot of off-the-shoulder looks.
ON HER DESIGN PROCESS
I’m a color person and the colors are always feminine in my collections. In fact, when I design, I actually always start with choosing the colors first. After I’ve found the palette, I choose my fabrics. For this collection, I used brocade and a cotton canvas, which pleated perfectly, and which can be dressed up or down. I was looking for diversity with the fabrics, so I also used cashmere and wool.
