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Knoll Designer Bios

Maria Cornejo

Maria Cornejo

Maria Cornejo’s varied career spans London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo where she was part of the ground-breaking design partnership Richmond Cornejo; developed her own signature “Maria Cornejo” collection; and worked as a creative consultant for major retailers such as Joseph, Tehen and Jigsaw. In 1998, she transformed a raw space in Nolita into a highly creative atelier and store known as Zero + Maria Cornejo. From the beginning, Maria established an independent point of view and developed new ways of cutting fabrics based on the simplest geometric forms. This simplicity, ease and freedom in her designs have become her calling card. A champion of women, in the fashion industry and beyond, her work is guided by the idea of creating wearable luxury for real women and has gained her a loyal following and high praise from fashion insiders and clients like Tilda Swinton, Christy Turlington, Cindy Sherman and, most recently, First Lady Michelle Obama.