By Marcellous L. Jones

Photo by Thomas Floyd

October 1, 2008

Paris, France - In his Spring/Summer 2009 collection for fashion house Emanuel Ungaro, the young Esteban Cortazar found true inspiration in his father’s romantic writing. That inspiration is furthered boosted by warm souvenirs of his native Cartegena in Columbia where he was born and where he spent vacations throughout his youth after his family had relocated to the United States . He used the two to plunge us into a world of femininity deeply rooted in the codes of the house.

“I did the collection because I wanted to do this. My father did not know that I would be using his writings. It came as a total surprise to him”, said Cortazar in a backstage interview with Fashion Insider TV minutes after he’d take his bow on the runway before the curtains closed on his show. “I was able to use all of that and just combine it with the draping, the colours, the gowns, the blouses, the sexiness and the movement – all the codes for which the house is known!”

This collection features shoulder revealing gowns, blouses and light cocktail & party dresses on a backdrop of vibrant colours such as teal, fuchsia, purple, gold, green, etc. With the large hats, once gets the distinctive impression that the Ungaro woman is already dreaming of heading to some tropical place where she intends to relax among palm trees and open air cocktail bars where she will relax while turning heads of the casual onlooker who knows how to recognize and appreciate unrelenting style.