It’s been three seasons since Carolina Herrera passed the design baton to Wes Gordon. He spent his first two collections establishing his new direction of fun, flamboyant clothes that are loyal to the house elegance but more modern. For pre-fall he wanted to take the latter point even further by going deeper into daywear. “I wanted to make the collection relevant to even more women today and bring in sleeker silhouettes and more of what women wear for their lives in the city,” said Gordon during a preview. He did what he set out to do.
Herrera’s signature white shirting isn’t going anywhere. Gordon gussied it up with rhinestones and spliced with prints. But tailoring got more attention with jackets and blazers cut with slim shoulders and sleeves and a gently accentuated waist done in deep jewel tones, such as emerald and sapphire. A longer blue tuxedo coat had a flamingo pink silk lining. Gordon noted that the in-house tailor is a woman, her female eye key to executing the pieces’ delicate but sharp lines. Knitwear dresses, such as a pink style and a black ribbed style with multicolored Lurex threads, had slender, easy silhouettes with long, skinny sleeves.
Gordon might have focused more on daywear for this lineup, but he didn’t neglect evening. Gowns and evening separates were also cut to show that glamour doesn’t have to be stuffy. Literally all the extra stuffing — organza linings, tight accordion pleating, etc. — was taken out of colorful tiered tulled gowns and a ruffled evening top in the interest of lightness and fun. Even the white caped tulle gown with a black bow detail, which Gordon deemed his “goddess nun,” looked unfussy and ready for a good time.
Carolina Herrera Pre-Fall 2019
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