"I wanted everything light as a feather," Carolina Herrera said about pre-fall. Where better to look for inspiration than the tango? The designer used a colorful 1920's print of dancers locked arm in arm for both a crepe de chine cocktail dress and a floor-length shirt gown, and its bold hues—lava red, dandelion yellow, and Directoire blue—informed the rest of a cheerful collection that played to the designer's strengths. Herrera's tweed separates are so airy you can practically see through them, though her lineup was mostly dresses: above-the-knee blouson shifts and fitted sheaths, some with embroidered brooches, for day; and, for after eight, a moiré draped one-shoulder column and a floral-print jacquard dot fils coupe number sure to see a lot of action on the gala circuit. The pièce de résistance was a strapless multi-stripe gown with long train made from a single piece of draped duchesse satin. It wasn't necessarily made for dancing, but it would make an unforgettable entrance.
