Maria Pinto | Designer, Maria Pinto

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In the post-COVID era, businesses continue to rapidly change work environments. Between the urgent need to rethink business models and ever-changing needs of their clients, it is easy to get stuck in a loop of recycled ideas or over analysis of existing systems.

These challenges lend the ideal breeding ground for not just improvement and originality, but also dynamic future pacing. The notion of seeing beyond the present problems and finding a generous arc of ideas to which customers will respond long-term – is a craft that Maria Pinto, Founder of the Maria Pinto label, has honed over more than three decades in one of the world’s most competitive industries.

As a fashion futurist and business icon, Maria Pinto has always sought new ways to innovate, making fashion more accessible to women of all ages worldwide.

With a label by the same name, Maria Pinto offers a collection of timeless, ready-to- wear garments for sophisticated, stylish women. Maria’s desire to make fashion that empowers women to feel chic and confident – from day to night – fueled the creation of her brand. Her "deconstructed couture" method allows her to provide the style, fit, and construction of luxury ready to wear with the comfort and function women need and desire every single day.

Whether she knew it or not, Maria’s trajectory has always been one that celebrated a futuristic outlook. A visionary fashion designer, artist and business leader, her passion for art and fashion was evident even at childhood. As a shy and introspective girl, she found solace in museums, where she studied various artists' creative expressions and techniques. Her dedication to art led her to study both fashion and fine arts at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2017. To this day, Maria believes that art is all-encompassing, whether it appears on a canvas or a dress.

Her journey in the world of fashion began with an internship in New York City under the guidance of renowned womenswear designer Georey Beene. Beene's focus on fabric, tailoring, and minimalist design greatly influenced Maria and continues to shape her work today. Upon returning to Chicago in 1991, she launched a line of

embroidered and beaded scarves and wraps, which quickly gained popularity among leading boutiques such as Ultimo, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and Saks. Even Mick Jagger became a fan, wearing one of Maria's scarves during a performance at Soldier Field.

Maria has been lauded extensively in global news outlets spanning Forbes, VOGUE, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Modern Luxury, Crain’s Chicago Business and more. Her remarkable career has been marked by numerous achievements including:

• 1991: Launched Maria Pinto luxury collection, sold Internationally including Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys NYC

• 2007: Dressed Michelle Obama

• 2009: Awarded the “Legends of Fashion” award from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• 2009: Invited to join the Council of Fashion Designers of America

• 2013: Launched M2057 by Maria Pinto – collections available at her Chicago boutique and her online style studio

• 2016: Celebrated her 25th anniversary in fashion design with a retrospective at Chicago's City Gallery

• 2016: Featured her designs on the popular TV drama series "Empire" on FOX Broadcasting Company

• 2017: Received an honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• 2018: Showcased her artwork at the Holly Hunt Showroom

• 2023: Honored for her contributions to fashion by The Curio at a fashion event hosted by Nigel Barker and Cynthia Rowley

• 2023: Celebrating 10th anniversary of M2057 by Maria Pinto, with the opening of a new boutique in Chicago’s River North and a rebrand of the label to simply Maria Pinto

• 2024: Featured as a speaker in the TEDx Chicago Design Salon - Evolving fashion from destructive to seductive and constructive

Maria Pinto's dexterity and commitment to creating both sustainable and accessible collections have earned her a well-deserved place in the fashion world. By seamlessly uniting art and fashion, her craftsmanship continues to explore new boundaries every year – all while upholding her vision of helping women build smart, effortless style systems that allow their individuality to shine.