Even though power and resilience aren’t themes often linked to femininity, the designers of the Carolina Herrera label aimed to highlight this side of their clientele at the brand’s runway show at New York Fashion Week on Monday. The collection was filled with streamlined silhouettes that were both precise and clean, speaking to the clarity and focus of the modern woman. Ruffles took on a new architectural dimension, adding dramatic flair.
Creative Director Wes Gordon, who has been at the house for six years, is committed to addressing the same women that the late designer sought to dress for nearly 40 years. This season, his primary motif came from a 19th-century gouache painting of pink peony, rendered on a small scale on the yellow gowns and life-size on the purple gazars. Gordon was keen to “recreate this in a more literal way, which led us to these ruched tulle dresses,” he said backstage. Throughout the 61-look collection, this modern homage to the feminine signatures that defined the brand was interspersed with decidedly casual and relaxed pieces. The opening look, a white cotton blouse paired with a short striped taffeta skirt and embroidered with giant peony prints, illustrated a whimsical, high-class gardener vibe. Models Stella Maxwell and Karlie Kloss were dressed in two separate looks, with the latter’s height accentuated by her long sleeve, yellow peony trench gown.
The second chapter of the collection focused on daywear. Here, Gordon’s Herrera woman is portrayed as an influential figure in Seventh Avenue. Gordon’s reimagining of feminine proportions was particularly successful. He swore off dress codes and delineations between daytime and nighttime dressing, focusing on a more streamlined silhouette without sacrificing a sense of luxury or beauty.
In addition to the slender silhouettes, he turned to color with a playful and romantic ferocity. Polka dots were rendered in many colors, from lake blue and kiwi green to papaya orange and champagne gold. Eyelet cotton was shown in various shapes and fabrications, from floor-skimming skirts and cocktail dresses to cropped pants and midi dresses. The silhouettes were matched with equally chic and effortless accessories, including a tassel-trimmed bag, bracelet set, and a slingback heel.
The front row of the Resort 2024 show included three generations of the Carolina Herrera clientele, from a 20-year-old Maddie Ziegler in an embellished minidress to perennially chic illustrator Jenny Walton in a demure baby pink skirt suit and the namesake herself cheering on Gordon in a red and black satin gown. The abundant collection also featured a series of sequined gowns that sparked a more spirited and celebratory mood, evoking the spirit of the season’s dance theme. The collection, presented in the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel, closed with a series of floral and floral-embellished lace gowns that paired regal embellishments with the relaxed ease of the modern day.