Esteban Cortázar

May 17, 1984

Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia

In the summer of 1999, 18 year-old Mr. Cortázar began his fashion apprenticeship with Bloomingdale’s fashion director, the late Kal Ruttenstein, which eventually led him to design his own a Bloomingdale window display in 2002. We take a look at this innovative fashion prodigy. Growing up amongst the models and photographers swarming South Miami Beach in the 1990s and hailing from an elite Colombian lineage gave Esteban Cortázar a keen aesthetic. By 2006, Esteban Cortázar not only had the attention of Bloomingdales but also Henry Bendel and Neiman Marcus, as well as the looming watchful eye of media, with articles in WWD, Vogue and ELLE. In 2007, he put his own fashion line on the backburner and moved to Paris, where he took up a position as the creative director for Emanuel Ungaro, a decision that garnered the 27-year old designer much critical acclaim. In 2009, Mr. Cortázar began focusing on the construction of his own fashion line once again. He left the Ungaro label when Lindsay Lohan was appointed co-director, but maintained his lifestyle in Paris and concentrated solely on the Esteban Cortázar collection. In Paris, Mr. Cortázar was able to hone his skills in developing a fashion line of his own - one that paid homage to his Latin heritage and combined it with both feminine structure and modern contemporary elements. In 2012, everything came together for him and he re-launched his fashion label with a spring/summer collection exclusively with Net-a-Porter - a contract that did so well that a second collection for fall/winter 2014 was soon commissioned. Net-a-Porter was a fantastic retail facilitator for Esteban Cortázar as it showcased his 20-piece line and his 18-piece dance-inspired line exclusively, yet it also gave him the freedom to design according to his own timeframe. The purchase orders placed by Net-a-Porter were based on Cortázar's sketches, not physical samples. A panel of nearly 7,000 women linked with the business research aspects of Net-a-Porter helped hone the retailers order predictions, with data points detailing customer buying habits, taken from extensive research. Beyond his Net-a-Porter contract, the Spring 2015 Esteban Cortázar collection is available in stores and ready-to-wear for the everyday woman. Mr. Cortázar was courted by and has enlisted the North American retail services of: Barneys New York and Beverly Hills, The Webster Miami and Holt Renfrew, all of whom showcase his buzzworthy new collection that debuted with the Paris Fashion Show. As part of the 2017 France-Colombia Year, Mr. Cortázar made a personal selection of Colombian brands and representative products for the Colette concept store. This event lasted two weeks and was the subject of a specific installation of shop windows at Colette. One represented a typical Colombian grocery store, while the second was dedicated to Esteban Cortázar's capsule collection. From July 10-22, 2017, France paid tribute to Colombia through cultural and artistic initiatives. Esteban Cortázar joined forces with the Parisian concept store Colette to honour his influences. Mr. Cortázar used this event to promote his first sportswear collection, produced in Colombia by Seven Seven, comprising unisex pieces such as hoodies, t-shirts, socks and screen-printed images of Colombian pop culture. A collaboration with Loopzu offered socks inspired by the Barranquilla Carnival and drawings by indigenous Wayuu communities. Accessories such as Mercedes Salazar, Casa Chiqui, Mola Sasa, greenhouses of Magnetic Midnight, and original jewelry by Paula Mendoza. The collection is completed with common crafts from Artesanias de Colombia. Taking an accurate prediction of the pending fashion climate, Mr. Cortázar seemed to predict what pieces the buyers might favor. His line had already been shopped to buyers prior to its runway exposure, which allowed the line to be presented to the everyday woman almost as soon as it left the runway show - a strategy that has received as much praise as Esteban Cortázar designs. Mr. Cortázar's collections are stocked in over 30 stores worldwide including Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Lane Crawford, Browns, The Webster, Net-a-Porter and Matches.

Esteban Cortázar Edit Profile

fashion designer

Background

Mr. Cortázar was born on May 17, 1984 in Bogotà, Colombia. He is a son of Valentino Cortázar, a Colombian painter, and Dominique Vaughan, a former British jazz singer.

Education

Esteban Cortázar entered the fashion world at just 13 years old. To him, the fashion world was a playground filled with fascinating adults. And it seemed perfectly normal to stage a runway show at his elementary school - a nine-piece collection, with a Little Red Riding Hood theme, modeled by fellow students.

Rod Stafford Hagwood, fashion critic for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, says the world of fashion probably isn't the best place for most adolescents, but Mr. Cortázar was totally focused on his work. Esteban Cortázar strengthened those technical skills by attending the Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami.

$Education period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in Design and Architecture High School$

Career

In the summer of 1999, 18 year-old Mr. Cortázar began his fashion apprenticeship with Bloomingdale’s fashion director, the late Kal Ruttenstein, which eventually led him to design his own a Bloomingdale window display in 2002. We take a look at this innovative fashion prodigy. Growing up amongst the models and photographers swarming South Miami Beach in the 1990s and hailing from an elite Colombian lineage gave Esteban Cortázar a keen aesthetic.

By 2006, Esteban Cortázar not only had the attention of Bloomingdales but also Henry Bendel and Neiman Marcus, as well as the looming watchful eye of media, with articles in WWD, Vogue and ELLE. In 2007, he put his own fashion line on the backburner and moved to Paris, where he took up a position as the creative director for Emanuel Ungaro, a decision that garnered the 27-year old designer much critical acclaim. In 2009, Mr. Cortázar began focusing on the construction of his own fashion line once again. He left the Ungaro label when Lindsay Lohan was appointed co-director, but maintained his lifestyle in Paris and concentrated solely on the Esteban Cortázar collection.

In Paris, Mr. Cortázar was able to hone his skills in developing a fashion line of his own - one that paid homage to his Latin heritage and combined it with both feminine structure and modern contemporary elements. In 2012, everything came together for him and he re-launched his fashion label with a spring/summer collection exclusively with Net-a-Porter - a contract that did so well that a second collection for fall/winter 2014 was soon commissioned.

Net-a-Porter was a fantastic retail facilitator for Esteban Cortázar as it showcased his 20-piece line and his 18-piece dance-inspired line exclusively, yet it also gave him the freedom to design according to his own timeframe. The purchase orders placed by Net-a-Porter were based on Cortázar's sketches, not physical samples. A panel of nearly 7,000 women linked with the business research aspects of Net-a-Porter helped hone the retailers order predictions, with data points detailing customer buying habits, taken from extensive research.

Beyond his Net-a-Porter contract, the Spring 2015 Esteban Cortázar collection is available in stores and ready-to-wear for the everyday woman. Mr. Cortázar was courted by and has enlisted the North American retail services of: Barneys New York and Beverly Hills, The Webster Miami and Holt Renfrew, all of whom showcase his buzzworthy new collection that debuted with the Paris Fashion Show.

As part of the 2017 France-Colombia Year, Mr. Cortázar made a personal selection of Colombian brands and representative products for the Colette concept store. This event lasted two weeks and was the subject of a specific installation of shop windows at Colette. One represented a typical Colombian grocery store, while the second was dedicated to Esteban Cortázar's capsule collection.

From July 10-22, 2017, France paid tribute to Colombia through cultural and artistic initiatives. Esteban Cortázar joined forces with the Parisian concept store Colette to honour his influences. Mr. Cortázar used this event to promote his first sportswear collection, produced in Colombia by Seven Seven, comprising unisex pieces such as hoodies, t-shirts, socks and screen-printed images of Colombian pop culture. A collaboration with Loopzu offered socks inspired by the Barranquilla Carnival and drawings by indigenous Wayuu communities. Accessories such as Mercedes Salazar, Casa Chiqui, Mola Sasa, greenhouses of Magnetic Midnight, and original jewelry by Paula Mendoza. The collection is completed with common crafts from Artesanias de Colombia.

Taking an accurate prediction of the pending fashion climate, Mr. Cortázar seemed to predict what pieces the buyers might favor. His line had already been shopped to buyers prior to its runway exposure, which allowed the line to be presented to the everyday woman almost as soon as it left the runway show - a strategy that has received as much praise as Esteban Cortázar designs. Mr. Cortázar's collections are stocked in over 30 stores worldwide including Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Lane Crawford, Browns, The Webster, Net-a-Porter and Matches.

$Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$ $Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$ $Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$ $Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$ $Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$ $Career period of Esteban Cort\u00E1zar in career$

Achievements

Esteban Cortázar became the youngest designer to have shown at Miami International Fashion Week and was just 17 when his very own creations went down the runway at New York Fashion Week. His garments have graced the bodies of celebrities like Brandy, Nicole Richie, and Solange Knowles, with his name becoming all the more well-known among clothing and shoe lovers.

Works

Esteban Cortazar Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection Esteban Cortazar Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection

$Sketches of Esteban Cortazar\'s capsule collection Sketches of Esteban Cortazar\'s capsule collection$

design
- Esteban Cortazar Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection
- Esteban Cortazar Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection
- Esteban Cortazar Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Collection
- JOYCE collection
- Sketches of Esteban Cortazar's capsule collection

Views

Quotations: "I never wanted to get into high end in Colombia - the percentage of people who can afford it is very small, and they can shop abroad anyway. It's just not what I had in mind. I wanted to bring international fashion to as many people here as possible, who don't usually get exposed to such styles."

"I didn't just want to do something that looks good, but get a product that lasts too."

"I didn't want people to wait six months to get the clothes, I wanted a very immediate, real feel to it. You see it one night, the next morning you can go and buy the same outfit!"

Membership

Council of Fashion Designers of America , United States

2006

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

Chris Paciello: "We always knew Esteban was a creative genius. To date, I’ve never met someone with such talent and an incredible aura at such a young age that all notables flocked to him. At fourteen he produced his first fashion show at my club Barroom, and we all knew then that there was no holding this kid back."

Connections

Father:: Valentino Cortazar
Mother:: Dominique Vaughan

Main Photo