Wes Gordon has been heading up the house of Carolina Herrera for a year now, and he’s officially settled in. By remodeling standards, this one actually feels quite quick. It can be challenging for young designers at heritage labels to know how much of a brand’s “bones” to hold on to. There’s often a temptation to flex—to start fresh.
This collection is the success that it is because it’s absolutely true to the brand’s roots, but quite youthful and fresh. Gordon had the clever idea of playing up Herrera’s Venezuelan side. She was born in Caracas, though she’s lived most of her life on New York’s Upper East Side. These clothes straddle that divide. The colors, patterns, and embroideries of Latin America have been applied to the kind of occasion dresses that Herrera’s “uptown” clientele requires.
A standout clingy ribbed knit dress was printed in vibrant serape blanket stripes, and a strapless gown has been embellished in the traditional embroideries of Oaxaca. Gordon also took Herrera-isms like pouf sleeves and trench gowns, and spiced them up. To counterpoint all the effusiveness, there was dandified tailoring, which was modeled by his dates to the CFDA Awards earlier this week, the actress Lili Reinhart and the model Sasha Luss. Gordon said the Spanish translation of joie de vivre is alegría de vivir, and this outing had it.
Conveniently, the company’s Madison Avenue flagship will open after a 10 month renovation later this year, not long before this zesty collection arrives on the sales floor. It’s going to fly.
