Colombian designer Esteban Cortázar reaches maturity

By

Triana Alonso

Translated by
Emily Jensen

Published
Oct 4, 2017

It’s amazing just how quickly some can reach maturity, and along a pathway that seems so simple and natural. Such is the case with Colombian designer Esteban Cortázar, the only Hispanic designer to appear on the official Paris Fashion Week calendar. The 33-year-old presented a collection that reflected an impeccable consolidation of the designer’s maturity. 

The show began with a strong declaration of purpose, leaving behind the intense prints of the designer’s past collection. Esteban Cortázar welcomed a relaxed way of dressing with white and earth tone poplin outfits, accented with slight strokes of blue. Also present were fluid fabrics and striped men’s shirts with low-cut décolletage that were knotted at the waist. 

Colour came forward timidly until the arrival of a long yellow dress with an asymmetrical neckline and an intense red leather jacket. The tones reflected the designer’s past travels, from the Colombian city of Cali to an Ibizan sunset, before giving way to sobre black looks that played with volume and touches of sportswear. A special mention goes to the neoprene trench as one of the standout pieces from the Spring/Summer 2018 collection. 

It appeared as though salsa owned the room at the Salle Melpomene in the Paris Beaux Arts when the colours of the Colombian flag appeared in the final looks in an ode to Colombia’s mestizo heritage. And the coffee-making country is a constant presence in the house, which this year debuted its first collaboration with Colette, converting the Parisian concept store into an authentic Colombian “tiendita.” The show continued in this way until the culmination of the saturated graphic prints, which were the perfect balance to the exquisite opening runway looks. 

“This time I wanted to show a sleeker, more relaxed woman,” Cortázar told FashionNetwork.com backstage after the show, which concluded with cheers and applause.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he commented, with the gratitude of someone aware of having converted their hard work into a fine party.

Or perhaps it’s just a transition into adulthood without losing the confidence and tradition of his work.