Johanna Ortiz’s New NYC Flagship Has an Iris Apfel-Inspired Room

On Wednesday afternoon, Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz officially opened the doors to her first New York flagship at 799 Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side.

The Tropical Retail Oasis – a four-story, 3,422 square foot building that now houses the brand’s New York headquarters, logistics and warehouse, as well as two floors of retail with seasonal collections from the designer, his swimwear and resortwear lines, his homewares and his specialties. exclusive dresses and styles from New York — was designed to transport shoppers and provide them with the complete Johanna Ortiz experience.

More from WWD

This stunning space features the brand’s signature palm tree motifs as multiple large-scale installations, designed by Colombian artisans; artisan furniture and decor with commissioned and sourced Latin American art, hand-selected by Ortiz. There’s even a sun-drenched VIP fitting room, inspired by Iris Apfel’s Red Salon, designed with a custom jacquard print of homes along the Pacific Ocean in Colombia, covering floor to ceiling.

Ortiz’s resort collection, launched the same day as his store opening, was designed with this in mind.

The new knits and leather pieces were a direct nod to New York’s new customers who, come winter, might want to pair its chunkier brushed cashmere sweaters with a buttery leather flared skirt with hand-braided details. hand, for example. There was also a stellar navy knit set with knotted crochet inserts.

The designer took inspiration from the current Western trend that she has been inspired by for years with piped blouses in silk and cotton; cowboy boots and wide leather belts, while a chocolate suede ensemble with a macrame-tied neckline adorned with tassels also blended in with her nautical “sailing ships and steering wheels” inspiration.

“We tried to interpret the feeling of being by the water and the ocean (in Colombia) and being colorful, while doing a different version of my western, with the boating,” a- she declared.

Nautical knots were a recurring motif, as evidenced by the hand-tied palm tree prints on simple linen dresses; in eyelet crochet numbers, or as dramatic hand-tied pom poms and asymmetrical straps adorning evening gowns and a stunning cut-out black pima cotton knit dress.

She topped things off with flattering botanical dresses, as in a flowy, green and white large palm print number with colorful bell sleeves, silk maxi dresses with contrast printed panels and trims, and a myriad of dressy flats ranging monochrome draped silk dresses with billows. moves towards black and white maxis and minis adorned with handmade beaded and sequin embellishments.

Showcased in the new store, the collection felt right at home in New York, balancing its Colombian artisan signatures with a thoughtful expansion of urban wear, with a big, festive, joyful twist.

Launch Gallery: Johanna Ortiz Resort 2025 Collection

The best of World Day