Usuario:María Lozano/Taller

JOHANNA ORTIZ

Johanna Ortiz (born October 2nd, 1973) is a Colombian Fashion Designer and Creative Director of her own life-style eponymous label Johanna Ortiz.

Early life

Born in Cali, Colombia, Ortiz studied Fashion Design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. She completed her studies, graduating with Honors and going back to her native country.

Career

Her eponymous label was founded in 2003. It began as a Resortwear brand evolving into a women’s Ready-to-wear line, Vacation line, accessories & home line that employs more than 440 people in Cali, Colombia, mostly women who are heads of households. Ortiz established herself as on of the top names in Colombia fashion, being included in BoF 500 list since 2017.

Ortiz’s success moment came in 2014, when Moda Operandi added the brand to the designer list. In the years since, Ortiz has presented her collections in Paris, New York & Madrid, where she’s earned critical acclaim from the likes of Vogue: “You can always rely on Johanna Ortiz to bring a little South American flavor to Paris Fashion Week.”

Her festive and tropical designs reflect a contrasting elegance. Ortiz's pieces get inspiration from Colombia and Latin America but also from menswear shirting achieving balance. Her evening gowns are visualized between salsa nights and tropical festiveness of a Caribbean island and the dubious feminine sophistication of the Old World. Through her business, Johanna gives back to the community. The brand does social commitment through collaborations with Colombia’s indigenous communities and through the education and employment of women heads of households with the ‘Escuela JO’ program.

The "Escuela JO" is an onsite training program that offers free professional-level seamstress and embroidery courses and fosters independence among employee hopefuls. There’s no obligation for students at the school to pursue jobs with Ortiz, but, most of them do. These initiatives have garnered her invitations to the White House and the United Nations.

Collaborations

JOHANNA ORTIZ X H&M

In 2020, Ortiz unveiled an exclusive capsule collectionn for H&M.

JOHANNA ORTIZ X NESPRESSO

A christmas collaboration with Nespresso that united her like to nature and sustainability with various designs in the NESPRESSO'S "Gift of the Forest". The collection features a range of limited-edition coffees for both the Original and Vertuo systems, along with Festive infused accessories, designed for gifting for family and friends. The collaboration gave back to the forest by helping to protect 10 million trees in the Amazon.

Stockists

Ortiz’s designs are sold in over 73 stores globally. Johanna Ortiz is available in USA, UK, Azerbajian, Brasil, China, France, Greece, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine & Panama. Her designs can also be found at department stores such as https://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/c/designers-a-z-johanna-ortiz-cat501007, Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges, Lane Crawford, and Le Bon Marche, and she’s become an international influencer, known for her sense of joie de vivre. She sells at online retailers such as Moda Operandi, Matches Fashion, MyTheresa, and Net-a-Porter. Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Jessica Alba, Shakira, Amal Clooney have all worn her designs.