5280.com Exclusive: Read our Q&A with the designer here.

Chilean-born fashion designer Maria Cornejo—whose line will be featured at next month’s annual Max Fashion Show—brings an edgy-yet-feminine look to the spring runway. Her label, Zero + Maria Cornejo, combines functionality with urban cool for an effortlessly hip look that makes it easy to build upon your existing closet. “A wardrobe is alive,” Cornejo says. “People add and build off of what they already have each season. You rarely start from scratch.” Cornejo’s spring 2012 lineup melds neutrals, summer brights (yellow, scarlet, cobalt blue), and abstract digital prints (from photos taken on a trip to Paris) with folded and pleated layers. Our pick: Toia printed minidress ($825) and obi-style Nico belt ($330).

5280 February 2012
More From The Issue

Find It: Max, 264 Detroit St., 303-321-4949, maxfashion.com; view the entire collection at the Max Fashion Show (March 16, EXDO Event Center), which benefits the Mike McMorris Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado.