The Establishment - CAROLINA HERRERA:
In one of her strongest collections- which exuded a fluid, sporty, casual air- Carolina noted that she was inspired by the textiles and interior designs from the l940’s as evidenced in the prints and embroideries which resembled mosaics and broken tiles, and she used elaborate jewel trim sewn on to many of the dresses and tops. This season, Carolina is especially taken with color and prints (she told me she was not using any black, and she didn’t), and in a season strong on prints, hers were standouts. She used both an ivory and red flame print (sometimes mixed with a tailored piece rendered in a subtle tweed) as well as a whimsical swimming lady print, which was predominant in the collection. In fact, she began her show with an aqua swimming lady printed sundress with ribbon straps, used it on a sporty pullover sweater which she paired nonchalantly with ivory tattersall elongated Bermudas, and in the finale, used it for a floor length halter gown.

Daytime is all about showing the leg (she of course, has fabulous gams), which was on display in knee length lightweight skirts, elongated shorts or Bermudas (if anyone can single-handedly make Bermuda shorts look chic, it is Carolina), and swimsuits. Eveningwear, rich in detail, was all about simple lines and sophisticated cuts, and she added metal embroidery or semi precious stones to many of the pieces. Though Ms. Herrera’s signature shade this season is spicy orange, she said she particularly loves the idea of unusual, unexpected mixes of color. The social set crowd pleasers were the beautifully cut, fluid and graceful solid colored evening gowns like the emerald green pleated gown and the flame red jersey gown- simply divine! And as always, beautiful backs, long a signature of the designer, were on display and very much a part of the equation.