Johanna Ortiz (Q4833)
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Johanna Ortiz is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Johanna Ortiz |
Johanna Ortiz is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
The soulful notes of a live flamenco performance filled the air at Johanna Ortiz’s presentation, setting the tone for an emotional show. “I wanted to reconnect with my roots and fully embrace my Hispanic heritage,” she said backstage. “This collection truly comes from my heart.” Ortiz infused her designs with energy and authenticity. The vibrancy of colors and prints; the sensual flow of ruffles; the curving, fluid silhouettes; the bohemian spirit—it all came together in an expressive collection where each piece seemed to reflect her feisty, warm, and engaging personality.“Colors came to me with an urgency this season,” she said. “I didn’t want to hold back.” Bookended by white and black looks, the lineup radiated a rich spectrum of sunset hues, earthy terra-cottas, lush emerald greens, deep reds, and ocean blues. The prints were equally vivid, drawing loose inspiration from the geometry of Moorish architecture. “It’s time to embrace color, to embrace joy. We’re fortunate to work in fashion while the world feels so messy, and in times like these, we need to listen to what our hearts and souls are telling us,” she said. Beyond her distinct vision as a designer, Ortiz is an entrepreneur who has grown a sustainable business dedicated to empowering artisan women’s communities in her native Colombia. Kudos to the consistency of her purpose, steadfast commitment, and humanity—utterly relevant today more than ever.
29 September 2024
Today marks the official opening of Johanna Ortiz’s first flagship store in the US, on Madison Avenue, so what better way to preview the new location than inside her new space? “Yesterday my manager told me that people were coming in like, ‘Oh, I’m so glad you’re here!’ and saying ‘Welcome to the neighborhood!’” she recalled sitting on one of the vintage couches she had sourced herself. “And that feeling was so satisfying, you know—I feel like I’m always in my own world, and it’s so nice to know that people recognize the brand.”Not surprising for the rest of us who have watched her cement the signature items that make her clothes instantly recognizable: her penchant for incorporating natural textures and materials as embellishments, and of course, her love of palm prints. All of these are obviously present in her resort collection, though they are now joined by more everyday pieces. “Resort is tricky because it arrives for holiday,” Ortiz explained. “People travel to warmer climates, they have destination weddings, but then they return to the city to the cold weather.”For the “destination,” there were printed jersey dresses, caftans, and embellished dresses. Two highlights included an asymmetric black dress with a trompe l’oeil print of knotted ropes on one side, and a mini dress with a sequined and fringed skirt that the designer took care to point out was “really light, because if it’s too heavy you simply cannot carry it in your bag when you travel—it’s difficult to pack and then it’s impossible.” And for the city, there were leather and suede skirts with intricate braided insets and Western-inspired seam details, cozy brushed cashmere sweaters, and knitted separates with crochet details. A black cotton “mesh” halter dress with cutouts at the waist seemed like it could go either way—worn beachside, or for those blazingly hot and sticky New York summers.
13 June 2024
Johanna Ortiz went out of her comfort zone for her fall presentation, trading the ambience of plush showrooms for the rarefied spaces of the Collège des Bernardins, a 13th century gothic building that was formerly a Cistercian college of the University of Paris. Further stepping up the game, she showed a broader collection than usual in a mini défilé, welcoming people in a feisty atmosphere with a vibey DJ set. Asked if she’ll ever consider taking to the runway in the future, she didn’t dismiss the option.The collection conveyed a feel of ease; while Ortiz focussed on handcrafted embroideries and bold prints of red poppies, she kept the silhouettes of her floor-sweeping dresses fluid and sensuous. Plays of panels transforming into capes or shawls, bows and hip-hugging sashes, detachable sleeves, fringes and ruched inserts added a sense of movement and versatility. “A dress should be worn and lived in more than once in different occasions,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be buried into a closet.”Being a female designer leading an atelier of 460 people, 80 percent of them women, Ortiz knows a thing or two about respecting women’s bodies and celebrating their diversity. “We know our tricks,” she said. “We know what to conceal and what ro reveal, and how to enhance our best features.” Her flattering creations have a graceful, joyful sensuality to them. “All bodies are beautiful, and I want women to feel beautiful in what I design,” Ortiz said. “For me, it’s all about celebrating the joy of being a woman.”
4 March 2024
Johanna Ortiz is gearing up for a major milestone of a year; she is celebrating her 20th anniversary in business. Perhaps that’s why her pre-fall collection had all the markings of a quintessential Johanna Ortiz collection: like a boldly printed caftan with alluring cabochon embroidery around the neckline, or a sequin stripe mini dress with a singular voluminous sleeve made for disco dancing in a most luscious shade of chocolate.But also quintessentially Ortiz are the experiments with fabrications and materials that continue to elevate her pieces beyond the expected. These include the spaghetti strap dress with a crochet top attached to a delicately lace-embroidered skirt, or the opulently embroidered bodice with beads, bits of ropes, and “feathers” that were in fact made from shredded organza. Another standout look was a simple bandeau halter top with an oversized bow in the back and a matching asymmetrical ruffled skirt in natural-color linen fabric with black velvet polka dots.The Colombian designer has taken advantage of the fact that her sampling and production are done locally in her Cali atelier. “I can get a little bit more into the details,” she said at an appointment at her Upper East Side headquarters, “I can add more touches of handcraft that make every piece more special.” She pointed to a super soft beige suede skirt embroidered with white and beige cotton ribbon that created a geometric pattern on the front. In the lookbook, she showed it with a matching fringed easy-wrap halter top, but it wasn’t hard to imagine it being worn with a chunky beige sweater and a pair of knee-high boots on a wintery New York city day—which is not entirely by accident.Though the designer is known for her resort pieces (“people are always telling me, ‘Johanna, whenever I have a destination wedding, the first thing I do is look for you’”), she has begun to expand her oeuvre beyond the ultra feminine and colorful wares she’s known for. “We’re opening our first store in New York and I want to make sure our women can find everything they need—whether it’s winter or they’re on vacation,” she said, casually dropping the big news of her first flagship location. “This has been my dream for a long time.”
18 January 2024
For spring Johanna Ortiz headed West. “I’ve always been an equestrian,” she explained on a Zoom from the Paris showroom where she was holding appointments. “That’s where we started this season.” There were Western-jacket motifs on a long cream cotton jacket with a wrap belt at the waist and delicately pin-tucked details throughout that made the fabric appear as it was a tonal stripe. It was also used on a tobacco brown linen jacket with a tonal floral-esque insignia made from woven raffia that had been patchworked in the back, like a marker of a cool club. A similar patchwork treatment featured on a black maxi skirt—the patchwork in raffia’s more natural coloring instead—worn with a voluminous off-the shoulder cotton shirtRaffia played a starring role in the collection, something that Ortiz often returns to season after season, though spring found her hitting a particularly magnificent sweet spot. Take the ecru cotton dress with a dynamic checker print; towards the hem, a row of fringe turned out to be little rolls of it woven into the fabric and adding a wonderful element of movement—if not magic. A similar technique was used on the bodice of an elegant black and ecru number where 18 strands of raffia, left fringed on either end, marked a sort of classic line on a bustier. On another dress they formed an intricately woven fan shape that rippled into rows of ruffles across a slim skirt. The simplicity of the shape combined with the humble materials created elegantly pared-back evening solutions.Elsewhere, Ortiz’s restrained (but never quiet) elegance could be summed up by two looks: one, a black bodysuit with a deep-V back, paired with a low-slung embroidered cotton voile skirt in black and tobacco brown, accessorized with a thin leather belt with a silver clasp. Another took the two-piece approach of the look and simplified it even further, converting it into a dress with a black tank top whose dropped waist merged into the lace fabric (this time in black and white). Naturally, both styles had pockets. “It’s a perfect summer dress, and the fabric feels a little bit silky—almost like a voile,” Ortiz said. “I think it really shows my love for textiles, and that’s how everything starts in our collection. A passion for textiles, for prints, for textures, and trying to give comfortable-yet-luxurious fabrics that make women feel good in their body.” What else could one ask for?
3 October 2023
Johanna Ortiz brought her resort collection to New York, holding a presentation at the exclusive Casa Cruz restaurant/private club that opened uptown late last year. In a room on the fifth floor where the walls were decorated with paintings of tropical leaves, the models stood around in a tableau, dancing, and conversing with each other. Immediately one’s eye was drawn to a slim, long sleeve column dress in a dusty pink semi-sheer fabric with lavender sequin-embroidered stripes, and a gauzy wine-colored caftan in an abstract pattern formed by delicate embroidery.“This season is a combination between the ’70 and the ’90s,” Ortiz explained, taking in the surroundings. “I wanted to bring something different, to replace the ruffle and the volume and the prints.” Her silhouettes were indeed more streamlined and closer to the body. “I was ‘drawing’ while draping and fitting the models, so everything comes from the fabrics, not from a sketch,” she added. As a result the dresses in the collection were slinky and sexy without trying too hard, and many of them were further customized to show more or less skin, or emphasize different parts of the body with a button-clip piece that could be attached at will. Her signature palm motif was shrunken down and turned into a tonal polka dot-esque detail on silk slip dresses.She didn’t steer away from prints entirely, she just approached them through a more 3D lens. There were the aforementioned sequin embroidered disco slip dresses, but also silk jacquards densely embellished in gold thread that turned out to be almost as light as a cotton voile. She used it on a short dress with a sweetheart necklace and a “bow” detail on the back which extended dramatically to the floor. “I’m always thinking that everything has to be packable, you have to be able to take it everywhere. It has to be light,” she added. Another standout dress, with flared sleeves and cutouts around the stomach featured an opulent floral embroidery of sequins, raffia, and beads in shades of pink and orange that popped against the burgundy silk they were set on.
8 June 2023
Now that fashion is in dressed-up mode, Johanna Ortiz and her line of upscale elegant party dresses seem to be in a good place. She has always stuck to her guns: Now the trend is just catching up with her.Today’s presentation was held in the plush spaces of a Parisian dining room, with guests sitting in round printed velvet banquettes. “Fall isn’t the easiest season for me,” said Ortiz. “Where I live, it’s always summer.” Cali, the Colombian city where her social-conscious company is based, is known as being the Capital of Salsa. No wonder Ortiz’s happy disposition is at the heart of her party-friendly line.This season she and her mostly female team were into slimmer and elongated silhouettes, low-waisted, slender and gently body skimming— nothing in the collection was on the slinky, too revealing or tight fitting side. She kept things sensual and tasteful. “Glamour and comfort can coexist,” she said.Feisty ruffles and swaying fringes alternated with cleaner shapes, slightly infused with a bohemian ’70s vibe; the designer’s favorite prints were offered in bold, blown up renditions of her native land’s eucalyptuses and palm trees, contrasting with allover black, warm brown, or rust. A standout was a low-slung, poet-sleeved tunic softly draped at the waist, cut in see-through velvet devoré in a black-and-gold geometric pattern. To complement the evening offer, Ortiz added a selection of sharp tailored double breasted black blazers made in collaboration with Spanish brand The Extreme Collection; some came embroidered at the back with a palm tree motif.As a designer and entrepreneur who has built a successful sustainable business, Ortiz knows a thing or two about perseverance and keeping it positive: “Living in the now and embracing what life throws at you it’s what counts,” she said. “The world is tough enough, we know that. For me, fashion is an artistic way of conveying feelings, to give women moments of joy.”
2 March 2023
Johanna Ortiz headed to the Andes for her pre-fall collection. “We’ve always been focused on the tropics and Colombia,” Ortiz explained from her studio in Cali. “This collection started [by thinking] about the Incas, and the explosion of color and stripes, the knits and materials that these ancestors had, and we tried to place them in a new language.”Incan stripes and patterns were incorporated into bright knits; from a simple maxi-length dress with a polo neck and variegated stripes in shades of red, orange, lilac, and chocolate brown, to a bodycon dress with a mix of stripes and geometric patterns. With its twisted sweetheart top and tassels surrounding the bottom of the skirt it showcased Ortiz’s passion for textiles above all. The tassels, along with other details like gold coin embellishments, pompoms, and beads, were inspired by the Incas’ rich tradition of crafts. Ortiz is also working directly with local communities like women from the Amazon’s Eperara Siapidara (woven bags) and Wounaan artisans (jewelry).The Andean inspiration was most evident in the all-over geometric pattern-embroidered pieces, like a handsome red, black, and white long jacket trimmed in tan vegan leather, or the blue, black, and white, cropped polo top and matching wrap skirt. Wrap skirts, which Ortiz makes in various lengths, are key items for the designer, and she showed them worn by themselves or over dresses and tunics, as a way to offer her customers a more versatile wardrobe. Thick geometric embroidered belts were shown over everything from jackets to dresses with waist cutouts. “If women don’t like the cutouts, the belt covers it,” she said, thinking very practically.Her prints were as bright and bold as ever; palm trees, abstract birds, and other organic shapes all took flight in a brilliant color palette of emeralds, browns, blues, and oranges. A tan cotton trench coat looked classic from the front, but the back featured a heavily embroidered jungle landscape; surely the pièce de résistance of the collection.
21 December 2022
Johanna Ortiz returned to Paris to present her spring collection, an exuberant celebration of her Spanish and Colombian roots, spiced up with a whirlwind of visual references.The festive flamenco spirit that inspired her beginnings was dusted off and given a new spin and seemed apropos “now that the party season is on again and we’re in the mood to have a good time,” she said.Her archival ruffled, off-the-shoulder dresses were slimmed down, made slender and sinuous; the red carnation, which Spanish flamenco dancers wear in their lacquered hair, was translated into abstract blown-up prints; and the mantónes de Manila, the traditional tasseled silk shawls gorgeously embroidered in Seville, became sumptuous cover-ups or fabulous long-fringed evening dresses.“When Seville meets Guane in the year of the tiger” is how Ortiz described the collection’s dense layers of references. She explained that Guane is an archeological site in Colombia rich in ancestral fossils and pottery traditions, which inspired trompe l’oeil motifs and the see-through tile pattern embroidered in a series of ankle-grazing eyelet cotton sundresses with draped or knotted bodices. While indulging in large-scale prints and bold saturated colors, Ortiz kept silhouettes simple and flattering, with plays of spiraling ruffles and sensual drapings.For Ortiz, enjoying life rhymes with being “conscious about the world. The woman I dress is ageless, a traveler, and connected to what’s happening around her,” she said. Ortiz keeps sustainably and social responsibility at the heart of her work, and she’s engaged in protecting local traditions and supporting the knowledge of Colombian artisanal communities: 90% of her luxurious collections is locally made in-house in her atelier in Cali, Colombia.
3 October 2022
Instant vacation is what Johanna Ortiz’s palm-embellished looks seem to promise. The designer offers different ways to arrive at your destination by applying the motif to a variety of silhouettes (long or short, fitted or caftan), using responsible materials of different weights, featuring all manner of hand embellishments, including appliqué, beading, and embroidery. Knits with organic patterns in earthen tones follow the lines of the body; “raffia” trimmings add texture and sound to dance-ready dresses.The palette, theme, and use of a specific regional cording technique, are specific to this resort collection, but Ortiz’s approach to design is both consistent and multidimensional. She’s not only interested in the optics of fashion, but in preserving heritage and craft, and how that can be a vehicle for supporting people (90% of the brand’s workforce is female).This collection furthers Ortiz’s mission, but it also speaks, as fashion must, to the times. Her designs, like many this season, address reemergence and celebration and the overall vibe isdressed. Her tunics can be worn as minidresses, but they looked smashing over pants. A particularly intriguing and versatile piece was a wide, corded corset belt that can be worn to cover the cut-out in a slim-line dress, but will also instantly elevate pieces like slip dresses and T-shirts.It would be interesting to see what Ortiz could do with swimwear and other more basic pieces that convey more of a relaxed, sand-between-your-toes mood. In the meantime, there are stunning party pieces embroidered with matchstick-like sequins that sparkle and pop as brightly as bubbles in a glass of New Year’s champagne.
30 June 2022
Johanna Ortiz held her fall presentation in the gilded salons of a hotel particulier in Paris. She had its plush carpets replicating the collection’s elaborate printed patterns, which she said were drawn from “ikats, suzanis, textiles from all over the world made with ancestral techniques which I’ve been collecting during my travels.”Ortiz has a background in textile design, so “the artisanal aspect is always present,” she explained. The large abstract motifs which were knitted or jacquarded on slender dresses, long wrap skirts, draped tops and ponchos were made in Peru; artisans around Colombia collaborated in the creation of accessories and jewelry pieces. A beaded belt closing a knitted-jacquard kimono coat worn with matching tunic was handwoven by the Emberá indigenous community in Pereira, Colombia; necklaces were handcrafted using an elaborate age-old technique. Throughout the collection, embroidered pieces were made by women working in the label’s atelier. The designer explained that “we’re a vertical company, and we’ve established an escuela to give seamstresses a professional education.”Johanna Ortiz started as a resort brand based in Cali, Colombia, known as the capital of salsa dancing. “It’s such a happy place,” said the designer. “At the beginning I was doing lots of frills, ruffles and flamenco influences.” Now the collection has a decidedly more sophisticated, sleeker feel. While not exactly functional, for fall her approach was focused on versatility. A slender, elongated silhouette rendered with intriguing plays of draping and wrapping looked effortlessly dressed up for day, and could turn chic and attractive for an evening occasion, styled with the right accessories. “I want to offer women clothes for different occasions,” said Ortiz. “Clothes have memory, and they can tell as many stories as the occasions for which they were worn.”
6 March 2022
Johanna Ortiz has a knack for making every garment and accessory feel like an occasion piece. If you want big, bold, colorful designs, you go to her. Pre-fall 2022 is no exception—it’s just a little bit more complicated. Past collections by Ortiz focus on ruffles and puffs to emphasize the opulent feeling of dressing up, but pre-fall does not. As Ortiz explained over Zoom from her atelier in Cali, Colombia, she wanted to honor the shape of the human body with sleek knotted details and elegant drapery.As explained in the collection notes, the draped designs are inspired by Greco-Roman dresses from antiquity, Madeleine Vionnet’s fluid garments from the early 20th century, and Indian saris (Ortiz says that her trip to the country as a recent grad was when she decided to become a designer, and is “always in the back of my mind”). Many pieces do look as if they were twisted onto the body, from a lavender crop-top to a kelly green mini dress with a train hanging from one side. Even an elegant white blouse—the kind of garment you could imagine wearing to work—features a twisted neckline and small pleats down the front. The prints of the season are Ikats, one small-scale and one large. Something for everyone.Although those are all rendered in soft cotton, silk, or viscose, texture plays a big role in this season’s story. Ortiz partnered with the Argentinian brand Rocio G. on a series of leather accessories and tops. Each of the pieces embroidered with cowrie shells is the result of this partnership, as are some of the woven leather bags. They’re visually impressive, and almost challenge the wearer to pair them with something equally bold, like one of the large-scale Ikat skirts. But the beauties of the season are the red garments that lead the pack of vibrant colors. As long-sleeve wrap dresses or short minis, these capture the ease and sophistication of the season better than any other look. You could easily wear one exploring some far-flung city center or out dancing at a fabulous party: Two occasions the Johanna Ortiz customer is surely well-acquainted with.
2 February 2022
Early fans of Johanna Ortiz will remember her breakthrough piece from 2015: an off-the-shoulder, puffed-sleeve, sold-out-everywhere striped shirt called the Tulum Top. Her brand has come a long way since then, aesthetically and businesswise. The top’s mix of familiarity and Latin flair has trickled out into tailoring, evening dresses, jewelry, and shoes, and nearly everything is made in Ortiz’s vertically integrated atelier in Cali, Colombia. “Cali isn’t exactly a fashion capital,” she joked on a Zoom from Paris, where she’s presenting spring 2022 by appointment. Indeed, the “traditional” way of doing things as a Cali-based designer would have been to produce her collections elsewhere—maybe in Italy, maybe in Asia—using materials sourced from another corner of the globe. That process would require multiple rounds of shipments and cargo flights, hardly a sustainable approach.Ortiz, on the other hand, has condensed everything in one place; in addition to having a closer relationship with her product, she’s able to collaborate with local artisans and create employment opportunities for her Cali community. Her team is now 350 people strong, and she’s just getting started: In 2016, she opened Escuela Johanna Ortiz, a free training program for local women to learn sewing and embroidery skills, so they can eventually work in Ortiz’s atelier or start their own line.The question of fashion’s purpose has come up a lot this season: Why do we need these clothes? Why should a brand even exist when the world is on fire? Ortiz’s commitment to women’s empowerment and sustainable manufacturing is a far stronger answer than most.All said, the actual clothes were similarly aligned in their focus on longevity, comfort, and sustainability. The ruffles and tiers of years past have been toned down or removed entirely, replaced by lean, wear-wherever printed dresses. Many are secretly adjustable: Sashes and ties can be knotted multiple ways to reveal or conceal, while a strapless dress in an emerald Matisse-inspired print had a beaded necklace looped through the front; you could try the same trick with a silk scarf or another piece of jewelry. Other dresses were simplified to highlight their large-scale prints, shown here in earthy sienna, moss, rust, and every shade of brown. They come across as naturals rather than in-your-face prints, all the better to wear them often and for years to come.
In a few cases, the “prints” were actually swirling patches of hand-woven raffia (zoom in on Look 14’s army green cotton dress to see). The technique was at once entirely novel—you won’t see it in another collection this month—yet subtle enough to be truly timeless. It’s easy to imagine dozens of reasons for it to exist.
4 October 2021
Miami was a popular spot for pandemic relocators; at one point the New York Post called south Florida the sixth borough. Though Johanna Ortiz is based in Cali, Colombia, she found herself in Miami recently too. It’s both the inspiration for and the backdrop of her new resort collection. These photos were taken in Little Havana and Little Haiti; she prefers their soft, sunbaked pastels to the fresh paint jobs of Miami Beach.The lockdowns have reshaped Ortiz’s collections. She likes to say that raffia has replaced ruffles. More broadly: There’s an earthier sensibility to the collection that extends beyond its spicy palette to the more pared-down, simplified shapes. Where earlier outings were marked by frivolity, she’s now leaning into a more functional approach. Long-sleeved dresses can be worn two ways, with a body-baring keyhole neckline at the front or the back, while halter-neck styles have versatile adjustable straps. She’s keeping the loungewear sets that did well for her during the pandemic in the lineup, and other dresses have the beachside ease of pareos. A plaid skirt suit strikes a different note, but look closely and there’s a cheeky cut-out at the hip.Looking forward to September, Ortiz is considering a return to Paris, where she presented her pre-pandemic collections. It’ll be interesting to see how she synthesizes the party clothes she was once known for with her new POV about effortless dressing.
29 July 2021
Ask anyone who knows her work and they’d say Johanna Ortiz’s hallmarks are ruffles, puff sleeves, and flowers. She built her Cali, Colombia-based business into a global brand on the allure of her going-out tops and party dresses. Lately though she’s been expanding her range; her new fall collection includes tailored jackets and jeans amidst the printed tunic dresses that are her signature.Ortiz’s expansion is down to lifestyle changes; her customers’ shopping habits have been affected by the pandemic, like everybody else’s. “I’m always thinking of the occasion I would use things. I’m much more conscious of whether I should buy it,” said Ortiz. “Women want things that they can’t only use one time.” They’re also thinking about smaller, more intimate occasions, ones with fewer cause for ruffles. That’s why you’ll see a dress-over-pant combination in white silk jersey on her runway.Beyond adding new silhouettes, Ortiz put a real emphasis on versatility here. Her printed tunic dresses can be worn back-to-front by anyone averse to the exposure of the slit that divides the bodice. They also come with ribbons at the wrist; tied they create a fitted sleeve, loosened they reveal their fluid, fluted shape. She began selling halter dresses with removable one-shoulder shawls for pre-fall; this time around the shawls are coming with their own removable feather trim. Those kinds of built-in options add value to her designs.In place of her beloved flowers Ortiz created a range of mushroom motifs. She said thatFantastic Fungi, a 2019 documentary illuminating the interconnectedness of the underground world, the way one species helps another—trees communicate with each other via a “wood wide web” of mycelium—made an impact on her during lockdown. Mushrooms sprouted up all over the fall collections—thery’re trending—but few designers are doing the thoughtful work at the pattern level, mixing utility with romance, that Ortiz is.
18 March 2021
Johanna Ortiz gave her new collection a name: Soledad. Solitude is a state of being we’re all too familiar with a year into pandemic lockdowns. Ortiz, a designer known for party dresses based in Cali, Colombia, has had to make accommodations not just in the way she does business, but in her designs themselves. The flounces and flowers that are her signatures have faded temporarily into the background. Her fall collection is earthier than what we’re used to seeing from her; with ikat prints and wild-horse motifs; an emphasis on easy-wearing cotton and an expanded knit offering; and a palette lifted from the desert.On a Zoom call, Ortiz even presented a pair of white jeans. Denim is denim wherever you are in the world. Leather dresses and separates, too, had a certain anonymity. Ortiz’s USP is her Latin background, her glamorous, yet grounded personal aesthetic, and the production atelier where upwards of 350 mostly female employees make her clothes (only the knits are made outside of Colombia, in Peru). The best pieces here had a strong sense of place, accentuated by the thick fringes of raffia trim added to hems and the raffia belts that decorated waists. A little black dress played against JO type, but she gave it a raffia hem and was pleased to report that store buyers liked it.
8 February 2021
Johanna Ortiz’s clothes have always had a strong sense of place; her botanical prints and ruffled silhouettes couldn’t be the products of a Northerner. That puts the Colombian designer at an advantage in our new normal. With so many of us grounded by COVID travel restrictions, fashion is taking on an expanded role. As much as we’d like to, most of us aren’t going to the tropics anytime soon, but slipping into a blockprint JO dress, or acquiring a JO mochila bag made from Iraca palm fibers by artisans from Sandoná-Nariño, are decent substitutes.With Paris, where she typically hosts her seasonal presentations, out of the question, Ortiz shot her spring look book and video on the streets of her Cali hometown. The tropical prints on dresses and separates are echoed in the local vegetation, and their vivid colors are lifted from the city’s brightly painted architecture. Ortiz gained international attention for her off-the-shoulder party tops. Her aesthetic is as upbeat and joyful as ever, but she’s made adjustments. More of the collection is made from cotton; versatile two-piece ensembles have replaced many of her dresses (some tops can be worn back to front); and her signature ruffles have taken a back seat to subtler embellishments like mola embroideries made from recycled threads.“Barefoot glamour” is how she describes the mood, though most of the collection will look as good with stacked-heel boots as sandals. “We’re designers,” she says, “we need to give this uplifting ingredient to our lives, even though we’re all living in this difficult moment.” Of course, Colombia hasn’t escaped the ravages of COVID-19. Nor is it immune to the dangers of global warming. Proceeds from this season’s T-shirt will be donated to Act 4 Amazonia, a group working for ecosystem recovery in the Amazon region.
21 October 2020
Johanna Ortiz knows how to throw a great party. Her biannual presentations in Paris have the kind of vibrant ambience you rarely find at Fashion Week. In our new reality though, the idea of a fabulous gathering feels increasingly remote. At this point, there are no crystal ball predictions on what the world will look like even two months from now, let alone come party season.Ortiz is banking on a future in which special occasions are celebrated with a close-knit circle of friends and family in the intimacy of one’s home. Her new collection reflects that domestic landscape in a way that feels right for the moment. The frothy party frocks she’s known for have been pared back for resort, made from sensible cotton and cut to the ankle. (Who needs heels when you’re padding around at home for the holidays?) Even the seemingly elaborate pieces come with multiway styling possibilities; her famous ruffled sleeves are detachable for the most part.Like many designers, she’s thinking practically with her resources, repurposing fabric from seasons past with help from local artisans. Their hand-embroidered straps and raffia trimmings lend an earthy glamour to the brand’s signature column dresses and tiered evening gowns. On the more minimal end of the spectrum, there’s an elegant red jumpsuit that’s draped around the body with all the ease of a beach pareo—sophistication without the fuss.Perhaps most impressive of all is the Colombian designer’s commitment to her team. Of the 360 mostly female employees who work between the design studio and the production atelier, none have been furloughed or laid off in the months since the pandemic hit. Given the current state of the industry, it’s an accomplishment she has every right to be proud of—one that’s well worth celebrating.
21 July 2020
Johanna Ortiz was in a nostalgic mood for fall. In addition to serving glasses of Cognac and Champagne at her intimate presentation in Paris this evening, the designer also dished out stacks of beautiful notepaper and envelopes tied up with string and sealed with wax. “People don’t write each other letters anymore, and I find that so sad,” lamented Ortiz. “Now all we have is emojis.”There was a literal love letter embedded in the fabric of the new collection; on it were sweet nothings written in Spanish curlicue script and printed across silky evening blouses and gathered slip dresses. The designer had been researching the stamps of her of native Colombia when she landed on the inspiration for the exotic florals in collection, the most eye-catching of which was embroidered in textured raffia on asymmetric column dresses. Traditional letter stamps embossed with Ortiz’s trademark palm tree were cast in gold and repurposed as statement earrings, while Colombian coins were strung on charming choker necklaces and belts.After having collaborated with shoe designer Tabitha Simmons for several seasons, Ortiz struck out on her own with accessories for the first time. The selection of made-in-Colombia footwear included graphic black-and-white buckled slides, strappy sandals replete with coins, and sturdy western boots that were a reference to the traditionalarrieros, Central America’s answer to cowboys, and came with clever removable leather stirrups—in other words, the boots could basically be worn mid-calf or cropped at the ankle at the wearer’s whim.Ortiz is a problem-solver by nature, and her new collection addressed the moving parts of a fall party wardrobe with an exceptionally practical mindset. As someone who has attended her fair share of black-tie events, she knows that statement sleeves and coats are fundamentally incompatible. With that in mind, there were a series of multi-way tricks built into the fall offering. For starters, her trademark ruffles, orbolerosas they are known in Spanish, were mostly detachable. One cocktail frock came with billowing sleeves that, once removed, revealed a more streamlined western shirt underneath—an antidote for the day-to-night shift that doesn’t require an extra pair of shoes. The designer is known for her color sense, and yet this season, her black and ivory evening dresses stood out the most, including a stunning strapless number in the classic Old Hollywood mold.
Though the silhouette harkened back to a bygone era, the production values were thoroughly modern, made as it was from deadstock taffeta. With 60% of her collection made from recycled fabrics or deadstock, Ortiz is clearly keeping an eye to the future of the planet.
1 March 2020
For Johanna Ortiz, it isn’t really a party unless everyone is dancing. After all, the designer comes from Cali, Colombia, known as the capital of salsa. Guests who arrived at the intimate presentation at her chic Paris apartment yesterday evening were greeted by the lovely sounds of a Colombian-Cuban band and waiters preparing drinks dressed in crisp white Cuban shirts. The mood was café society with a Latin American twist.Ortiz has a great sense for glamour, and this season it was informed by a languid elegance that recalled the 1930s. The frothy ruffles that were once her signature gave way to a more fluid silhouette, with embroidered fringed column dresses, slinky knits in shades of blush pink and golden brown, and tiered Art Deco–style floral-print dresses that were finished with looped braided straps. The same chunky braiding was used to fasten her charming sandals, made in collaboration with Tabitha Simmons. Ortiz is very much inspired by the beauty of her homeland, and for Spring the raffia midi heels took their shape from traditional thatched roofs that trace the tropical landscape.No matter where in the world you are, there’s no avoiding the issue of climate change. And that’s not lost on Ortiz. She incorporated recycled fabrics into her line for the first time, and the textured midi skirts and draped tops in pale pink were some of the strongest pieces in the collection. Even small steps toward sustainability like this are well worth celebrating.
29 September 2019
Johanna Ortiz’s Resort show was a leisurely uptown affair that kicked off with breakfast at the newly reopened Four Seasons restaurant. Though the designer lives and works in Cali, Colombia, she considers New York a home away from home. Her rolodex of stylish, high society Manhattanites is pretty impressive: Karolina Kurkova, Aerin Lauder, and Lauren Santo Domingo, an early champion of the brand, were all perched on the front row. Oritz likes to roll out the Latin American hospitality wherever she goes, be that a rococo vestibule in Paris or a smart, mid-century eatery in midtown. With palm frond arrangements dotted around the room and freshly pressed juices served outside, the event was a pleasant start to a day jammed with showroom appointments.And yet if you were expecting a parade of brightly printed dresses, you’d be sadly mistaken. Ortiz has been drawing on an earthier palette lately, and today she wiped the slate completely clean, opening the show with a gently corseted white blouse and matching skirt, a look you could easily imagine floating down Fifth Avenue. The only thing vaguely tropical here were the orchids in the models’ hair. Still, Ortiz managed to import the spirit of her homeland in the collection all the same. What looked like a polka dot print turned out to be a ceramic-inspired motif on closer inspection, one that will be familiar to anyone who knows the country’s traditional earthenware. The graphic pattern worked well on a brown ’40s-style dress that was partially cinched at the waist with black velvet. That said, there was one floral print in the mix that was based on the angel trumpet, a flower known to be highly poisonous. “Beautiful and dangerous,” was how Ortiz described it. That moody sex appeal came through in a black party frock with a lace-front finish that was covered with the distinctive droopy purple and white blossoms.Ortiz has been moving away from her frothy ruffles, but the balloon-sleeved blouses that were sometimes fastened with a bow in the back will satisfy the continuing demand for going-out tops. Like many designers this season, she also seemed to be resisting the call of Resort in the traditional sense. No sarongs or luxe swimsuits, just great dresses to wear wherever you choose to call home.
4 June 2019
Sun, sea, and sand are always on the horizon at Johanna Ortiz. For Fall, the Colombian designer had a picture-postcard backdrop in her mind’s eye, namely Arusí, a remote agrarian paradise on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Inspired by that landscape, the new offering’s earthy palette of russet brown and forest green was consistent with the bigger color story of the season, both in Europe and New York. Ortiz is a passionate lover of floral prints—each season she infuses a rare exotic flower into the collection—though this time she used hand-carved wooden canoes and malocas, the distinctive homes of the region’s indigenous communities, to create her own toile. It was a clever way to shake 16th-century motifs from their Eurocentric, pastoral roots, and that revisionist tableau looked modern and fresh on gently fluted day dresses. (The custom toile also appeared on the hessian rugs that lined the floors of the gorgeous Paris apartment where Ortiz held her presentation.)Oritz broke new ground with her approach to embellishment, as well. Spun with a web of tiny green Perspex tiles, her “fisherman’s net” dress was a colorful update on the idea of chain mail, and the mini crocheted purses were a complementary partner. The crisp cotton hand of Oritz’s ruffled peasant blouses was revisited in black taffeta for evening and lent a pleasing, dramatic tone to one of her most popular signatures.Beyond driving her own business forward, the designer is committed to growing a creative community in her homeland. After collaborating with Paola Mendoza and Galería Cano for Spring, Ortiz invited Colombian accessories designer Andrea Vargas of Monolito into the fold for Fall. Worn as statement necklaces, the sculptural perfume vials were a cool foil for the romantic dresses. Though the tiny bottles were left empty, Ortiz is planning to make her own scent with Vargas. It isn’t the first time the designer has dipped her toe in the world of beauty—she made custom lipsticks with her makeup-guru friend Aerin Lauder. As Ortiz continues to build her brand on the world stage, smart lifestyle partnerships like these will set her apart from the rest.
2 March 2019
It’s been a big year for Johanna Ortiz. After staging her first Resort show over the summer in New York, the Colombian designer is marking her brand’s 15th birthday with another milestone: her first Pre-Fall collection. Ortiz ventured out of her exotic floral-print comfort zone this season, adding animal motifs to her repertoire (also a first). The mottled feline that appears on midi-length pleated and ruffled silk dresses is no ordinary jaguar, though; this one in particular is indigenous to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Ortiz’s homeland and a potent symbol in pre-Columbian culture. Colored in earth tones and dusky shades of blue and green, the most eye-catching pattern in the bunch drew from the ceramic traditions of the region and lent a soulful, vaguely vintage vibe to cotton maxi dresses, the Central American answer to India’s famous block-print silks.Ortiz is well known for her party frocks—usually ruffled, usually floor-sweeping—and added minidresses to her lineup for the first time. The label is expanding its daytime offerings, too, building on shirtdresses and peasant tops with smart summer tailoring, including a Western-inspired take on the pajama suit. Longtime fans of the line will remember the days when swimsuits were the designer’s mainstay. She went back to her roots for Pre-Fall, so to speak, with a series of statement-making maillots, part of a growing new business that she’s calling beach-to-bar wear. Styled with the sculptural floral belts and her paneled straight-leg jeans, the new bathing suits will make for fun going-out tops and seem primed for midsummer vacation selfies.
17 December 2018
Johanna Ortiz always brings an inviting tropical vibe to her presentations. There were trays of rum cocktails and tropical fruit floating around each room in the opulent Parisian apartment where she held court yesterday, and a DJ friend spinning Colombian records in the main salon. Ortiz is a dedicated lover of flowers, and she gathered the floral-print looks in alluring vignettes according to type—classic roses in one corner and more exotic varieties in another.The designer has been pruning the dramatic dimensions of her signature ruffles in the past few seasons in favor of a more pared-back silhouette. The focus was on texture for Spring, with gently pleated details lending a quiet air of romance to evening. Crisp cotton and broderie anglaise A-line maxi dresses took the spirit of her party frocks into the light of day in a way that felt fresh and new.The designer made a splash with traditional handmade Seville scarves for Fall, and some of that fringing carried through along the edge of silk robe jackets that were paired with cropped trousers, a chic spin on the traditional pajama suit. Ortiz’s clothes are all produced in Cali, Colombia, her hometown, and this season she opened her circle to a new set of fellow Colombian collaborators. Paola Mendoza and Galería Cano made all the earrings and necklaces that were piled on in handfuls and even used as belts in some cases. The pre-Colombian-inspired jewelry was a nice way for the designer to nod to her ancestry and gave the current yen for bohemian talisman an authentic South American shine. Ortiz has a view to the future of her community, too. The mini straw bags were made by a collective of artisans in Caquetá, a former conflict zone on the border of Brazil that is undergoing redevelopment.
29 September 2018
Johanna Ortiz might seem like a relative newcomer to the fashion game, at least in New York, though in truth she’s more seasoned than most would expect. The Colombian designer celebrates her 15th anniversary this year, and she kicked off the festivities today with an intimate show at Augustine, the trendy French bistro at the Beekman hotel in lower Manhattan. Ortiz loves to throw a party, and her hosting skills were on full display—each table was laden with tasty nibbles, including delicious quinoa arepas, pandebonos, and buñuelos. There were classic panama hats perched on every seat, too; welcome pick-me-ups on an unseasonably gloomy June morning.Ortiz’s buoyant Latin American spirit came through as the models meandered through the space. Most of them were wearing the kind of easy flat sandals you might pack for a tropical vacation, right in step with the laid-back elegance of the brand. Up until now, Ortiz has made a name for herself on ruffled party dresses with a coquettish off-the-shoulder line. She moved away from that familiar silhouette this season toward a longer, leaner look. Neatly cropped bustier-style tops replaced the label’s voluminous going-out tops and were coupled with tiered maxi skirts that swept the tiled floor.Ortiz usually has an art reference pinned to her mood board, and for Resort she turned to the Hawaiian landscapes of painter Pegge Hopper. You could see Hopper’s influence in the palm frond motifs that covered a neatly tailored suit. It was her reference to the spellbinding 19th-century flamenco dancers conjured by British artist George Owen Wynne Apperley, however, that was the most game-changing element in the collection. The standout evening dresses were cut from the distinctive fringed scarves that have been made in the south of Spain for centuries, a tradition that traveled down the Silk Road from the Far East eons before that. Wrapped asymmetrically around the body or over the shoulder like a cape, the frocks added a nice sense of movement to the lineup; proof that there is life for romantic fashion statements beyond ruffles.
6 June 2018
The American West isn’t the only place cowboys and girls like to roam. They go by the name of llaneros in Johanna Ortiz's native Colombia. Indeed, the designer took inspiration from classic South American rancho stylings to toughen up her romantic aesthetic for Fall. Ortiz had been sifting through the military decorations that belonged to her late grandfather, too, who once served as a cavalry general. The diamanté pins that studded many of the coats and jackets were in part an homage to him. It’s the first time Ortiz has tackled outwear in such a big way. After all, living so close to the equator in the sunny beach town of Cali, Colombia, she hasn’t much use for a winter wardrobe. Ortiz was wise to take an opposites-attract approach to layering, with tailored officer-inspired coats that were a nice counterpoint to the feminine ruffles for which she’s known. The best in the bunch was a quilted chartreuse coat that had the laid-back attitude of a bathrobe and could be easily thrown over the shoulders of one of the brand’s pretty little going-out tops.Ortiz always brings a little Colombian fiesta to Paris—several of the gorgeous women in her crew of Colombian girlfriends modeled in the presentation yesterday. Her brand turns 15 this December, which is certainly cause for celebration. What’s more, there were fun and flirty dresses in the lineup to mark the anniversary, including one covered in an exotic floral motif and another nip-waisted style in lipstick-red that would work on a variety of different body types.
3 March 2018
You can always rely on Johanna Ortiz to bring a little South American flavor to Paris Fashion Week. With her presentation at the Colombian ambassador’s private residence in the Seventh Arrondissement today, the designer did just that, laying out a spread of tropical, delicious treats that included chontaduro and honey, a delicacy direct from her homeland. The jumping-off point for her new collection was a little further afield, focusing on the Polynesian beauties of French Impressionist Paul Gauguin. Ortiz used the painter’s richly colorful brushstrokes to reimagine floral prints, a mainstay of her label, including the red blossoms—based on a Colombian orchid variety—that appeared on ruffled cocktail dresses.Party frocks are undoubtedly a substantial part of Oritz’s business, though she’s made the biggest waves in international waters with her ruffled off-the-shoulder shirting. This season she evolved the popular going-out top with a fresh proposition for evening dressing. Using the kimono as a blueprint, the designer presented her own take on robe dressing, with shirtdresses that were designed to pull triple duty in a woman’s wardrobe, sometimes holding their own, other times worn open as breezy spring coats or layered over jeans. It was a nice way to bridge the day-to-night gap, particularly combined with Oritz and Tabitha Simmons’s new footwear collaboration—red flats for day and twisted metallic platform sandals for night.Once again, Oritz dipped a toe into the denim market, and her current sampling of jeans is bound to a good cause, to boot. Printed with a map of South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia, the cropped jeans were produced in the wake of Mexico’s recent earthquake, and a portion of the proceeds will go toward helping the victims. With a collection that boasted more than 50 looks, it’s clear that Ortiz is in expansion mode. Though she’s continuing to chart new territory, she’s not forgetting where she came from: The majority of the collection still bears the label “Made in Colombia.”
3 October 2017
The traditional notion of Resort—one built on fabulous winter getaways in exotic places—lends itself toJohanna Ortiz. The Colombian designer creates fashion against a tropical background 365 days of the year, after all. She brought some of that warm Latin flair to New York this season, and the sounds of Colombian music could be heard pulsing from the garden of Ladurée in Soho where the presentation took place. “It’s called Cumbia Pacifico,” said Ortiz, dancing to the beat with a bevy of models. “We listen to this back home all the time.”Ruffled asymmetric crop tops and tiered skirts had an unmistakable romantic sway about them, one that has helped Ortiz to seduce a sizable international audience in the last couple of years. Globetrotting socials such as Lauren Santo Domingo were among the first fans of Ortiz’s work, and there were references to an American icon of exceptional style and taste, namely Georgia O’Keeffe, in the new collection. The so-called mother of American modernism is in the zeitgeist right now—there’s currently an exhibit spotlighting her immaculate minimalist wardrobe at the Brooklyn Museum. Austere elegance is hardly Ortiz’s bag, though traces of O’Keeffe could be found in the hothouse prints inspired by succulents, and there was a Southwestern streak in the bright pink and lipstick red gingham looks.Ortiz collaborated with jewelry designer Rebecca de Ravenel, and her popular Les Bonbons earrings came strung with pretty floral embellishments. Ortiz still produces all of her clothes in an atelier in Colombia, and the intricacy of the hand-embroidered sequin party dresses certainly held up to the kind of craftsmanship you might find in Paris or Milan. She also partnered with the indigenous Colombian Wayuu people on the charming hand-woven bags known asmochillasthis season. Finished with oversize silk tassels, the pieces toed the line between cocktail hour and sunset on the beach—a practical and chic extension of the brand’s homegrown production values.
13 June 2017
Johanna Ortizmight not be a fashion label you’ll recognize, but her clothes are selling like hotcakes in department stores right now. The designer is something of a household name in her native Colombia, and in the past three years, she’s managed to take her brand of South American romance worldwide. Fans of the line will be familiar with Ortiz’s signature ruffles, and the growing popularity of her glamorous shapes and off-the-shoulder eveningwear has coincided with the recent trend for billowing statement sleeves. There were voluminous going-out tops aplenty for Fall 2017, though Ortiz admitted that she is slowly transitioning her love of ruffles into an obsession with bows. They were all over the new collection: fastened obi-style around a peplum jacket, sitting at the shoulder of asymmetric cocktail dresses, or cinching the waist of floral evening gowns.On the flip side of the unabashed commitment to pretty is a fondness for shirting that started with the button-downs that Ortiz would wear out of her husband’s suitcase when the couple traveled. She added an extra layer of practicality to her popular puff-sleeved striped blouses by fusing them with a bodysuit closure that slips neatly into boyfriend jeans without any unsightly bunching. Ortiz had been tinkering with the idea of political slogan tees for Fall 2017, and the feminist credo of her shirts, one of which was printed with the wordsisterhoodin all capital letters, was in line with examples on both sides of the pond. Perhaps the most meaningful aspect of her work is the support she is giving to craftswomen in her native Colombia, where the collection is made. Judging by her current success, that talented circle of dressmakers is only likely to grow.
4 March 2017
Can a pretty party dress also make a political statement?Johanna Ortizthinks so. The well-established Colombian purveyor of ruffled feminine frocks has found increasing success for her statement silhouettes in the American market (statement silhouettes seemingly being the sole area of interest for contemporary shoppers). But that doesn't make her any less concerned with what's going on back at home. Ortiz began designing her Spring collection when it looked like Colombia would be ratifying a landmark peace treaty with the FARC rebels that would put an end to a 52-year conflict—one that has claimed the lives of an estimated 260,000 people. But on Sunday, a low number (38 percent) of Colombian voters turned out and the peace deal was narrowly defeated in areferendumin another Brexit-like shock to the system. So, when Ortiz embroiders Give Peace A Chance on the back of one of her military green ruffled tops, it's not just because it's cute. She really means it.Ortiz's most successful designs have a sort of fête-ready flair: There are wiggle skirts with cascading ruffles, sultry off-the shoulder blouses, and snug lace separates with dramatic sleeves and strategic flounce. (She was, in fact, one of the first to really capitalize on the yen for the off-the-shoulder trend.) All of it makes you want to make a big entrance. None of it was dampened by the political situation. Most of the collection took inspiration from her native Colombia, from its legacy of magical realism to its less fortunate realities. A darker section matched a verdant green with black lace and was inspired by “the light through the trees in the forest,” said Ortiz, pointing out some subtly sequined bird designs. “Or at least it’s how I picture it. We never went into the forests because it wasn’t safe there.” Here's hoping that changes soon.
5 October 2016