Know Wear: Destined for éxito

Come to think of it, I can't remember when exactly I lost my faith in designer collaborations. It might have been with Matthew Williamson's über-cheap line, or maybe with the disappointing Sonia Rykiel one. In any case, Europe hasn't seen a good designer collaboration with the high street for a few years now. Americans have been much luckier with their Galliano, Rodarte and Zac Posen for Target which proved that edgy and affordable are actually feasible.

Esteban Cortázar is responsible for restoring my faith in designer collaborations. Alas, we won't be able to enjoy his designs in either Europe or the States because he was commissioned the collection by and for the Colombian store Exito (success in Spanish). The FW10 line shows Crotázar's versatility by distancing itself from his time at Ungaro when softness prevailed. He has created great wardrobe staples (i.e: the LBD, the biker jacket, the khaki cargo pants, the boyfriend jumper) with a very urban nod to Alex Wang that brings Crotázar's NYC lifestyle back to his roots in an intent to make high fashion not only affordable but approachable to Colombians.