Maria Cornejo left Chile when she was 11 years old, but she never abandoned her essence. Her story mirrors the story of many Latin American women who emigrate, yet it’s also unique. It involves a journey that took her to England, Japan, and France before finally settling down in New York, the city that has become the center of her creativity.
From the Big Apple, Cornejo has established a powerful presence in contemporary fashion, one that celebrates innovation and bold ideas while preserving the emotional memory of her roots.
"Our press are distinguished people who wear our clothes in their real lives. That's my biggest pride, seeing people who do important things, wearing our clothes naturally."
Her aesthetic sensibility was formed at a very young age. While other girls played, Maria developed the almost ritualistic practice of watching her grandmother and her aunts as they knitted their garments. At the same time, her mother, an art director, introduced her to the power of images and visual storytelling. These two worlds, the artisanal and the conceptual, collided and made up the creative DNA that would later define Maria's signature style.
Maria's family fled Chile due to the dictatorship, resulting in them living in Peru, Manchester, Paris, Tokyo, and Milan. Still, none of those transitions disconnected Maria from her Latin identity; in fact, they promoted it. Throughout her career, Maria's identity can be felt in her approach to color, femininity, and more.
After her move from Latin America and having established herself in New York, Maria shares feeling “like a foreigner in her own country,” a feeling that many immigrants can empathize with. She describes her aesthetic as a cultural synthesis: New York minimalism with a Latin soul.
"Old rules don't work anymore. Many small brands are doing great work, and there's also the whole social media system. Someone can make one purse and have an enormous brand, so it's all smoke and mirrors. You don't know what's real and what isn't; it's all about image. Our clientele is very loyal, it's not made up by press or celebrities."
For over two decades, Maria Cornejo has built her legacy through her brand Zero + Maria Cornejo, founded in 1998, in Nolita, New York. From that converted studio-boutique, her aesthetic has revolved around geometric shapes like circles, triangles, squares, and rectangles, allowing her to create sculptural, versatile, and timeless garments.
These pieces, free from excessive seams or embellishments, have won over clients like Michelle Obama, Tilda Swinton, Cindy Sherman, and Sofia Coppola, who admire Maria's designs and purpose in enhancing their identities without overpowering them.
Along the way, Cornejo has been honored with major international awards. In 2006, she received the National Design Award from Cooper Hewitt, solidifying her place among some of the world's leading designers, like Rodarte and Tom Ford.
More than a decade later, in 2018, she was awarded the Fashion Group International Sustainability Award. In 2023, she received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA, considered fashion’s “Oscar” on the 25th anniversary of her brand.
In recent years, Maria has continued to explore minimalism with purpose. Her Fall 2023 collection was designed for the woman who seeks refuge in clothing: cocoon-like coats, asymmetrical capes, and organic fabrics that evoke a feeling of protection and self-care in a post-pandemic world.
Beyond the runway, Cornejo has championed a strong stance on sustainability, working with regenerated fabrics, organic cotton, and local manufacturing practices in New York. In a system that values the immediate, she bets on things that last. Her collections do more than dress; they speak. Maria's clothes are a statement of ethics and belonging.