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Johanna Ortiz

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. With Paris, where she normally hosts her seasonal show not available, 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. 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.

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