Salsa music, ‘50s screen sirens, French women and of course Colombia. These are just a few of the things Johanna Ortiz lists as inspiration when it comes to designing her vibrant and light-hearted collections. After graduating from The Art Institute and Parsons School of Design, Ortiz received critical acclaim for her first couture collection, which debuted in Colombia in 2001. Long revered in her home continent, the Latina visionary truly left her mark on the rest of the world at the unveiling of her heavily Instagrammed 2016 resort collections.
From an aesthetics standpoint, her clothes are divine: form flattering, colourful and frilly in all the right places. They exemplify Latin spice, and while they take inspiration from masculine tailoring, they are, in every sense of the word, feminine. She keeps strong, powerful women in mind when designing, and in doing so creates the perfect balance between girly playfulness and power-dressing elegance.
This week I was treated to a sneak peek of Ortiz’s AW17 collection, hot off the Paris catwalks. Perhaps it was the sheer thrill of the preview, but I’m tempted to say this is her most exciting collection yet.
If there’s one thing we learnt from fashion week, it’s that velvet ain’t going anywhere, and Ortiz has taken the retro material and truly modernised it. A striking one-shouldered grey velvet top immediately caught my eye.
Also, the velvet dress with cut-away sections and grandiose ruffled sleeves is fantastic. As we recently reported, this season’s drama should be displayed on the arms!
The collection also includes sharp tailoring and fun and feminine denim, complete with jewels and feathers. Ortiz also extends to accessories – subtly hued velvet shoes with mammoth bow detailing, and dazzling oversized earrings pair perfectly with the garments.
True to form, there are plenty of vivid floral patterns and, of course, ruffles all round. I’d take one of everything if my husband would let me!
Johanna Ortiz latest ready-to-wear collection is available for preview at www.modaoperandi.com.
