A 15-piece capsule collection, it debuts today entirely online, part of a recent strategy to revamp the vintage-inspired, fast-fashion brand Desigual into something a little cooler, and more sustainable.
The collection – entitled Desigual loves Esteban Cortazar – blends a whole series of kicky allusions – from the arty street photography of Andy Sweet; kitschy Art Deco colors and even the bold graphic imagery from the Colombian-born designer’s father painter Valentino Cortazar.
Ever since he exploded onto the New York runway as a teenage designer, Cortazar has attracted attention with his mashup of wild prints, Colombian imagery and clubbing cool, the product of a youth spent partly in Ibiza. This unisex collection, featuring denim looks; swimwear, cocktail dresses and even dude shirts has plenty of his Latin party-animal DNA.
So, we caught up with the 37-year-old designer, who celebrated his birthday this week, in a Zoom from the Standard Hotel in Miami for his take on his latest project.
Esteban Cortazar: It happened very spontaneously, very naturally, it wasn’t a brand that I was connected to, or even knew about their origins. I would see it in different countries and cities, being from Colombia you know, they have quite a following in Latin America. Plus, obviously I go to Spain all the time. And in recent years I started to become intrigued.
