Studio

Designing. Making. Meaning.

Gloria Cortina Studio was founded in 2009. It creates dynamic dialogues involving interiors, furniture, fabrics and individual objects, and does so with exceptional attention to detail. The designs are sensually sophisticated, emotionally engaged, and originate from the deep cultural roots that produce Gloria Cortina’s uniquely contemporary Mexican designs.

The Studio is based in a purpose-designed creative space with its own product gallery in Mexico City. The innovative designs, at every scale, use beautiful and unusual materials. They are all Gloria Cortina originals, produced by the Studio’s team of designers and superbly skilful craftspeople.

As part of the studio’s creative process, Gloria works personally with clients to curate settings or individual pieces that bring together architecture, design, art and culture in a way that reflects their individual lifestyles.

The Studio’s work has been featured in publications including Vogue, Architectural Digest, Elle Decoration, Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. It has also appeared at major international exhibitions, such as Design Miami, Art Basel, Salon Art + Design New York, TEFFF, and in solo shows in NYC and México.

Gloria Cortina

Founder / Creative Director

Gloria Cortina is a designer, curator, and creative collaborator. Her work expresses ideas and emotions prompted by myth and modernity – ‘a search for the harmony and beauty that can be found in conscious and unconscious imaginings.’

Her designs specifically avoid the usual international styles. The spatial arrangements, furniture, and individual objects that she creates produce very specific atmospheres and aesthetics – and they are extremely place-sensitive.

Gloria Cortina’s design inspirations range from Mayan artifacts to Cubism, Mexico’s unique Arts and Crafts heritage, Modernism, and natural and archaeological environments. These sources, among others, enrich her designs, giving them a uniquely individual physical and visual character which balances warmth and refinement.

She studied at Parsons The New School of Design in New York, and worked with leading architects, including the internationally acclaimed Ricardo Legorreta and David Ling. Her approach to design is quite particular, and she creates complete, beautifully crafted spaces and individual pieces which have taken Mexican culture and contemporary design into the pages of trend-setting international publications.

Rafael Franco

Lead Designer

Rafael qualified as an architect at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in the Max Cetto studio before joining Gloria Cortina Studio. He has worked closely with Gloria Cortina for eight years and is intensely focused on design development.

He believes that design should generate sensual and emotional meaning, and he monitors and develops designs from the conceptual and detailed design stages, right through to their highly crafted completions.

Ana Paula de Alba

Senior Designer

Ana specializes in the design and production of Gloria Cortina’s limited edition furniture and fittings.

While studying at Parsons The New School of Design in New York, she developed a strong interest in the values of conceptual design in relation to daily life.

Before joining Gloria Cortina Studio in 2015, she worked for interior design practices in New York and Mexico City.

Vanessa Ocana

Interior Design Manager

Vanessa has worked at Gloria Cortina Studio for more than ten years, contributing substantially to the creative process of the interior design projects.

She gained an MA in architecture and interior design at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and has a deep understanding of design integrity.

Laura Abe

Senior Interior Designer

Laura studied architecture at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and also architecture and urbanism at the University of Belgrano.

Her approach to design is holistic. She has a particular interest in the poetics of space, and in the resolution of design details.

Gabriela Garcia

Administrative Assistant

Gabriela is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the assets and accounts of Gloria Cortina Studio. She believes that accuracy in these areas contributes directly to the efficiency and creative success of the studio.