Maria Cornejo Jenna Greene/WWD From a very early age, Maria Cornejo started to develop the independent point of view that’s been a hallmark of her brand Zero + Maria Cornejo. Leaving Chile for the U.K. at age 11 with her family as political refugees and then living in Japan, France and England as a young adult would ultimately shape her eponymous brand’s aesthetic. “I’m a little bit of a mutt of a New York designer, because I’ve had influences from everywhere,” said the 61-year-old designer.