By Alicia Powell
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Carolina Herrera’s signature ball gowns, elegant evening dresses and classic day looks filled the designer’s sumptuous fall/winter collection at New York Fashion Week on Monday.
Bright jewel tones, bold black and white stripes, and floral prints helped to tell creative director Wes Gordon’s story of opulence at a Plaza Hotel ballroom.
“Elegance is the mixture of opulence with restraint,” Gordon said, citing inspiration from Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who is featured in the 2022 Netflix series “The Empress” and the movie “Corsage.”
“It’s this idea of… discipline and severity mixed with the drama and the exuberance,” he said.
Tulle was used for complete looks as well as embellishment, along with lace, silks and hand embroidery.
“It was in many ways an indulgence as a designer to just really work with artisans who can do these things that unfortunately have become largely extinct on runways today,” Gordon said.
The designer wanted to “just stop for a minute and focus on making things that are emotional and beautiful and showcase the best of everyone’s craft,” he added.
New York Fashion Week will feature over 70 shows through Wednesday.
(Reporting by Alicia Powell; Editing by Richard Chang)
