Carolina Herrera's new Pre-Fall collection juggles whimsy and dignified elegance. She has been in the biz long enough to be a master of both. On the whimsical side there were ladybugs, and lots of them, crawling around the collar of a swingy A-line dress and printed in miniature on a breezy summer gown. For the woman who prefers flora to fauna, Herrera had a lovely rose print on a navy blue background; all of the prints are designed in-house. At the other, more compelling, end of the spectrum, she was working with double-face cashmere in neutral shades of ivory and camel, as well as a bolder combo of charcoal and pool blue. Clients will get a lot of mileage out of a three-piece suit that had echoes of mid-century couture. Versatility was essential to her evening numbers, too. A long, narrow teal skirt that looked torn from an old Irving Penn photograph was paired with a black silk top inset with jet cabochons, but it could've just as easily been worn with one of Herrera's crisp, white button-downs.
