A fashion debut that’s fit for a Duchess
Yesterday at New York Fashion Week, Wes Gordon, the 31-year-old designer, presented his first show for the house of Carolina Herrera, launched by its founder, the glossy Venezuelan society favourite, in 1980. Passing on the design baton is not always an easy step for namesake founders. Helpfully, Gordon (who trained at Central Saint Martins before internships at Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford) worked with Herrera for a year as a consultant before taking over the creative reins in February (she remains global brand ambassador).
His influence has been noted: the Duchess of Sussex (who had previously attended Gordon’s former label’s shows) has worn Herrera twice – the blush off-the-shoulder for Trooping the Colour, and a fit-and-flare dress for the polo – two stealth style hits.
Gordon approached his first show by getting to the core of Herrera and her style legacy. “The number one is Mrs Herrera,” he said. “When you look at those late Seventies photos of her, right when she was at the dawn of starting her collection, there’s a vibrancy and vivaciousness. She was never the wallflower – this woman was the life of the party.”
His show was a sure-fire dose of joie de vivre: zinging colours, overblown hibiscus florals and a nod to the founder’s Latin roots – touches of ruffled flamenco and maxi dresses with a subtle Seventies flavour.
“This collection is for a woman who loves colour,” said Gordon. “Herrera should be the rainbow in your wardrobe, when you get dressed on these bleak days, in the bleak world we live in.”
Gordon should be looking forward to a sunny future at the house. And his most high-profile customer? The Duchess would look incredible in his off-the-shoulder yolky gown – and the white broderie anglaise, black-edged dress has got Ascot gently rippled all over it.