Esteban Cortázar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esteban Cortázar
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Cortázar in June 2009
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| Born | 17 May 1984 Bogotá, Colombia
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| Other names | Esteban Cortazar |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
Esteban Cortázar, born on May 17, 1984, is a talented fashion designer from Colombia and America. He grew up in Miami, Florida. Esteban became one of the youngest designers to show his clothing collections at the famous New York Fashion Week.
Early Life and Inspiration
Esteban Cortázar was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on May 17, 1984. His father, Valentino Cortázar, was a Colombian painter. His mother, Dominique Vaughan, was a British jazz singer.
Esteban's childhood was spent in different places and cultures. This mix of experiences greatly influenced his designs. He often says his work celebrates his Colombian background. You can see this in how he uses Colombian symbols in his clothes. He also talks a lot about Colombia and its communities in places like Miami, Florida.
When Esteban was just 13, he showed his fashion drawings to Todd Oldham. Todd Oldham was a well-known designer who became Esteban's mentor. In 2004, Esteban finished his studies in fashion design at Miami's Design and Architecture High School.
Miami's Fashion Scene
During the 1990s, South Beach in Miami was Esteban's childhood playground. This area had a growing fashion scene. Designers like Gianni Versace and Todd Oldham helped make it famous. Miami's Latin culture and unique style also shaped Esteban's ideas.
Famous photographers like Bruce Weber, Peter Lindberg, and Herb Ritz took iconic pictures there. Their photos showed strong and confident supermodels. This vision stayed with Cortázar, helping him see fashion as a way to express yourself.
In 1999, Esteban's early drawings caught the eye of Kal Ruttenstein. He was the fashion director for Bloomingdale's, a big department store. Later, Bloomingdale's bought Esteban's first collection. Other stores around the world also started selling his designs. In 2006, Esteban joined the Council of Fashion Designers of America. This is a group for top fashion designers.
From 2004 to 2008, Esteban worked with Edit Meurrens. She managed the business side of his company. She helped make it possible for his brand to show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) for four years. At that time, Cortázar was the youngest designer to show at NYFW. This opened many doors for him and helped him move to Paris.
Fashion Career
In 2007, Cortázar moved to Paris, France. He became the head designer for the House of Emanuel Ungaro. This was a big step, as Ungaro is a famous European fashion brand. Esteban has lived in Paris ever since.
In 2012, Natalie Massenet asked Cortázar to create special collections for Net-a-Porter. This is a popular online fashion store. This project helped him relaunch his own fashion brand. His work became known around the world. People loved his unique take on feminine, modern, and luxurious clothing.
In 2014, Cortázar came up with a new plan. He wanted to get his clothes from the runway to stores faster. He did this by confirming orders and starting production before his fashion shows. This way, the clothes were ready sooner. This idea started a big discussion and is changing the fashion industry.
After showing his collections at Paris Fashion Week, Cortázar's style became very popular. His designs are known for their smooth, sculpted lines that look easy and graceful. His collections often mix two ideas: a body that is held back and a body that is free. He uses special shirts, round hems, cut leather, and horse-riding inspired details. These elements make women look confident, bold, and elegant. Vogue magazine even called him "the most uninhibited designer showing in Paris."
In 2024, he launched ‘Donde Esteban’. This new line focuses on comfortable, stylish clothes for everyone, perfect for vacation.
Cortázar's collections are sold in many stores worldwide. These include Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Lane Crawford, Browns, The Webster, Net-a-Porter, and Matches.
Colette Collaboration
In 2017, France and Colombia celebrated a special year of cultural exchange. As part of this, Cortázar chose a selection of Colombian brands and products for the Colette concept store in Paris. This event lasted two weeks. Colette's shop windows were specially decorated for it. One window looked like a typical Colombian grocery store. The other showed Cortázar's special clothing collection.
From July 10 to 22, 2017, France honored Colombia with many cultural and art events. Cortázar worked with Colette to celebrate his Colombian roots. The event featured a water bar with Colombian drinks. There was also a special menu from Colombian chef Carlos Peñarredonda. Beautiful books were on display, including a limited edition book about Colombian artist Botero.
The event also included clothing, like a hoodie designed by Colombian reggaetón singer J Balvin. Many items were made with local Colombian artists and designers. This showed Esteban's deep knowledge of his home country.
Cortázar used this event to launch his first sportswear collection. It was made in Colombia by Seven Seven. The collection included hoodies, t-shirts, and socks for both boys and girls. These items had screen-printed images of Colombian pop culture. He also worked with Loopzu to create socks inspired by the Barranquilla Carnival and drawings by Wayuu communities.
Other accessories included jewelry by Mercedes Salazar and Paula Mendoza. There were also items from Casa Chiqui, Mola Sasa, and Magnetic Midnight. The collection was completed with traditional crafts from Artesanias de Colombia.
In the store, Esteban included Colombian food, crafts, art, music, and books. He wanted to connect his country with Colette's modern and unique style. This project fit perfectly with Colette, which is located in the heart of Paris.
Finally, tote bags featured art by Valentino Cortazar. T-shirts showed designs by Luis Caballero and Pedro Ruiz. Colorful chairs highlighted the work of Ramon Laserna.
