Carolina Herrera s program notes promised a trip to early twentieth-century Vienna, but there was nothing archaic about her pretty new collection. Forgoing the skirtsuits that have made her a favorite of the ladies lunch set, she teamed leg-elongating trousers with tiny knit sweaters over trim button-downs, and a ribbon-waisted pencil-slim skirt with a short-sleeve blouse in a naïf radish print. It all looked very fresh, but perhaps not as youthful as one might ve expected, given that the paparazzi s favorite junior Park Avenue target, Lauren Davis, is ensconced in the designer s public relations department.[
When the spring social season kicks off, Davis and her crowd will be snapped in Herrera s shapely, floor-grazing skirts, fitted to the knee and flaring out in a cascade of ruffles. These appeared in silk gazar and embroidered cotton. If the designer s most recent collection was stripped of embellishments, her new lineup made up for lost time and had them in abundance. More Arts and Crafts than high glam, hand-painted floral appliqués, raffia belts over chiffon gowns, and exquisite embroidery that gave one thyme cotton column the look of brocade were all clever flourishes. It s too bad these confections weren t shown with a younger shoe, perhaps a flat. But devoted fans of her evening dresses won t be dissuaded by such a minor detail and can go elsewhere for that.
