We’ve been talking about a changing of the guard at New York Fashion Week since we returned to in-person shows post-COVID. Carolina Herrera is the last brand you’d put in that league; Mrs. Herrera launched the brand 40 or so years ago in the go-go 1980s. But more and more, the label that Wes Gordon inherited from her in 2019 looks like a young woman’s brand, with a sexy freshness that most of the time doesn’t compromise the sense of circumstance long associated with the Herrera name.
Take the series of stretch-jersey dresses near the end of the show. Midi length with a knotted neckline or long with a plunging V in pink, and in a floral halter style that had the look of swimwear, they’re comfort-forward and easy wearing in a way that’s new here. Or consider the boxy black “boyfriend” so oversize it almost obscured the white shorts underneath; the materials may be elevated, but at the foundation it’s as casual a look as can be. Pairing embroidered single-breasted, collarless jackets with capri pants gave even Gordon’s tailoring a playful, cheeky edge.
All that said, the 28 Liberty Street venue, with its Noguchi sunken garden and, at street level, its Jean Dubuffet trees, suggested that Gordon hasn’t forgotten Herrera’s well-bred roots. He honored her codes, from the extravagant sleeve (see a black cotton one-sleeve dress) to polka dots (lots of them, including on a crocheted minidress and a compact knit bandeau top and tube skirt set), turning out clothes for all sorts of occasions, not just fancy parties. But don’t worry, he didn’t neglect the fancy frocks.
With the ensconcement of the new guard, there are very few New York resources for a proper, scene-stealing ball gown anymore. Enter Gordon’s strapless black-on-white polka-dotted number, ruffles decorating its drop waist above a full, floor-sweeping skirt. “I was chasing the wow,” he said backstage. Great quote, even better dress.
