Maria Pinto's designs evoke a deliberately modern and confident sophistication. Season after season, she marries the rich traditions of artisanal textiles hand selected from around the world, with the modernity of American design.
Pinto's luxurious women's accessories collection debuted at Bergdorf Goodman in 1991 after being ?discovered' by then-president Dawn Mello. Almost immediately, Pinto received recognition as a designer who could take the most unusual of fabrics and transform them into elegant, signature pieces. It was this initial success that gave her the confidence to expand her brand into the eveningwear arena.
In 2002, Maria Pinto shuttered her doors due to health and business complications. The time away proved vital as Pinto regained her health she also regained her passion for the industry. In 2004, she reopened her doors with a new vision of the brand that would introduce separates for day, thus rounding out her previously successful eveningwear and accessory collections.
Whether her clients are high profile figures or celebrities, they all come back to Maria Pinto for her tailored silhouettes that are made to fit a variety of lifestyles. Maria Pinto's success comes from combining luxurious fabrics with clean lines. Juxtaposing these elements together with sensuality and passion, Pinto creates collections that define ?classic with an edge'.
In August of 2008, Maria Pinto opened the doors to her first boutique, a natural extension of her atelier, located in Chicago's West Loop. Pinto's collections are known for well-edited luxury; each garment incorporates innovative materials and sophisticated tailoring from beginning to end. This attention to detail is reflected in the environment of the retail space from the moment a client walks through the door.
Maria Pinto's collections have been featured in major fashion publications, including Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar and InStyle.
She has received many prestigious design and fashion accolades throughout her career, including the opportunity on two occasions to design seductive costumes for the Joffrey Ballet's Recorde Per Due (2002) and Age of Innocence (2008); the Best of Fashion Award, Chicago Magazine (2000); and the Gold Coast Fashion Award, previously won by Anne Klein, Donna Karan and Bill Blass (1998). In 2009, Maria Pinto will be honored by the Anti-Defamation League as the recipient of their Women of Achievement Award, and the School of The Art Institute's Legend of Fashion Award.
An alumna of Chicago's School of the Art Institute, majoring in fine art with a focus in fashion, Pinto also attended New York's Parson's School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Pinto landed a coveted position working for legendary designer Geoffrey Beene soon after graduation. It was there that Pinto learned the importance of ?attention to detail', the techniques of draping, and the art of editing.
The Maria Pinto Collection is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney's New York, and Takashimaya as well as other fine boutiques across the country.
