Good Company: Zero + Maria Cornejo’s Elegant, Eco-Conscious Minimalism

True to its roots, Zero + Maria Cornejo is committed to minimizing its carbon footprint. The line uses sustainable fabrics whenever possible, and 84% of production takes place locally in Manhattan’s Garment District.

“It’s important to me that the majority of the collection is produced locally,” says Cornejo, 56, who is the founder and creative director.

The company, owned and run by women, frequently collaborates with outside partners to raise awareness around social responsibility and eco-consciousness. Zero + Maria Cornejo partners with women artisans around the world for special collaborations, and in September, the line teamed up with Hyundai’s Re:Style project to create a capsule collection for New York Fashion Week that uses the car manufacturer’s seat material waste. Cornejo says she saw the project as an opportunity to create a dialogue around wastage in both of the car and fashion industries.  

THE ITEM

Zero + Maria Cornejo is known for its garments that drape the body with clean lines with almost liquid-like fluidity. Most of the designer’s dresses, tops, skirts, pants, and outerwear share the signature, cocoon-like drape, some with soft pleats or bold patterns. Zero + Maria Cornejo also makes shoes and accessories with a similarly modern aesthetic. 

Most of Zero + Maria Cornejo’s garments are cut from one piece of fabric, using as few seams as possible and instead relying on volume and angles to create unique and flattering shapes. 

PRICE

Zero + Maria Cornejo’s dresses and jumpsuits are a celebrity staple on the red carpet. In fabrics such as jersey, silk, and velvet, they range from $475 to $1,295. Many of Zero + Maria Cornejo’s jackets bear an Asian influence, with belted, kimono-like jackets with wide sleeves, like the beautifully dyed, cheetah-patterned jacquard Curve Oki Coat, which is priced at $995.

At the lowest end, T-shirts are priced between $45 and $65. 

DESCRIPTION

Cornejo takes a holistic approach to making her namesake line synonymous with responsible design. Zero + Maria Cornejo relies on women designers to create pieces made from eco-friendly materials that will serve as durable and stylish keepsakes. 

Cornejo is proud that the bulk of her collection is produced in New York, but her company keeps a close eye on garments produced elsewhere to make sure there is full transparency.

“When we work with a group of female knitters in Bolivia, I want to make sure that it’s a fully vertically integrated process, meaning the yarn is sourced locally and the final garments are produced locally as well before being shipped out,” Cornejo says. “Knowing who made your garment and that it didn’t have to travel across the world before landing in a store, that’s sustainable manufacturing to me.”

Though Cornejo wants women to wear her pieces beyond one season, the designer welcomes new challenges and continues to innovate in the eco-conscious space. For the Zero + Maria Cornejo’s Re:Style capsule collection with Hyundai, the designer had to incorporate car seat leather that was much thicker than leather intended for clothing. Cornejo said that she ended up leaving the material as is, and instead joined it with other fabrics that paired well with the leather, including archival textiles from Zero + Maria Cornejo’s previous collections.

“I am really happy with the way the final garments came out,” she says. “This was an opportunity to show that reusing materials that would otherwise be seen as wastage could be desirable and cool.”

In addition to the recent project with Hyundai, Zero + Maria Cornejo has collaborated with brands like
Barney’s
and Allbirds to create capsule collections.

“Collaboration is key to how we will all move forward, generate new ideas, and creatively come together to address better, more responsible design practices,” Cornejo says.

WHAT’S THE GOOD?

Zero + Maria Cornejo has come full circle—now, the company reuses its own leftover fabrics from previous seasons to make new clothes.

“This is inherent to how we approach design at Zero + Maria Cornejo,” Cornejo says. “Just because something was popular one season, doesn’t mean it can’t be used again in a new way. That’s sustainable to me.”

The brand starts with responsibly created fabrics, often working directly with mills to ensure they are using sustainable practices. One such textile is the line’s “Eco Denim,” made from Zero + Maria Cornejo’s mill’s 100% organic cotton, certified by Cradle 2 Cradle, a non-profit organization that certifies products based on criteria that includes material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.

“You really have to ask questions, partner with your vendors and push everyone to do better,” she says. 

The designer’s website also offers information on how the fabrics were sourced and produced for each item under a tab that says “Textile & Care.” Cornejo emphasizes that using quality and well-made fabrics means the clothes can be worn far beyond the season it was manufactured—an antidote to fast fashion. 

Cornejo is a founding member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) Sustainability Committee, and she won the first CFDA/Lexus Fashion Eco-Challenge in 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT

Cornejo says she and her team are always looking for new ways to incorporate sustainable textiles into Zero + Maria Cornejo’s collections. The designer hinted at some possibilities, saying, “I also love all the innovation in textiles, such as the lab-grown leathers or fabric made from orange peels. I think we are about to see a lot of great innovation come to the market soon, and I can’t wait.”