Carolina Herrera’s white-shirt aesthetic comes to Manila
The first store of the designer who’s been called “the chicest woman alive” is finally in Manila. On Sept. 17, the CH Carolina Herrera flagship opened in Greenbelt 5 to a warm reception by walk-ins and clients familiar with the brand.
“Our principals were quite happy with sales yesterday,” says Obee Ham, head of business development for local partner Trimark Group. “One of the reasons we brought in the brand is because here, people know about Carolina Herrera already.”
How could you not know about Herrera, who’s dressed five US First Ladies, including Jackie Onassis, Michelle Obama, and now Melania Trump? Herrera was one of the American designers who said it would be an honor to dress Melania; the first lady returned the kindness by donning an inauguration gown designed by Hervé Pierre, Carolina Herrera’s former creative director.
The Venezuelan-born designer, who appeared on so many international Best Dressed lists she became a Hall of Famer in 1980, built her image of modern elegance around the white shirt, which she paired with everything from ball skirts to jeans and always, always chic accessories.
CH Carolina Herrera’s Southeast Asia country manager Alexis Caceres Sanchez showed me how this brand icon has its own special “White Shirt” label, versus the red labels of the rest of the apparel.
“Always when you think of Carolina Herrera you think ‘white shirt,’ because you can combine it with jewelry, denim, or black crepe trousers for evening,” he says, taking me through this season’s styles. I particularly loved the one in white cotton with a pleated peplum. “In all the interviews of Carolina Herrera when we have a trunk show in New York, normally she wears a white shirt. It’s one of our bestsellers and each season we create new white shirts.”
Currently in-store is the fall 2017 collection, which Sanchez says was inspired by New York City and its different districts. Pieces in mimosa yellow were inspired by sunny afternoons in Central Park, while those in magnolia pink and navy pinstripes represent Midtown, where “everything is in movement and people are working very quickly,” Sanchez says.
Polka dots have also been part of Herrera’s DNA since her first New York fashion show in 1980, when she started her fashion business upon the urging of friend Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of Vogue. Other Herrera signatures over the years have been lace, and the color motif of red, black and white, which you’ll even see painted on the store walls. “People love Carolina Herrera red,” Sanchez says. “In China, people come and buy the red dresses.”
This year, the House of Herrera is celebrating 35 years in fashion, and has commemorated the milestone with a special Insignia line that incorporates the CH logo into metal hardware for cuffs, shoes and bags. Herrera even reworked the “C” and “H” into a special handle for the Insignia bag.
CH FOR MEN
In the men’s line are suits, ties, leather accessories and everyday casual wear that includes the season’s Varsity and Toucan themes in camouflage prints and decals on shirts and jeans. The only categories the 180-sqm flagship doesn’t carry are kidswear and fragrances, though Ham says Herrera’s famous fragrances, currently headed by daughter Carolina Herrera Baez, may come in by early next year.
“The CH Carolina Herrera brand is a continuation of Carolina Herrera New York,” Ham says. “It’s more of a lifestyle brand so we can offer more like a men’s collection, accessories, shoes, bags, and apparel for everyday.”
“It feels like the home of Carolina Herrera,” adds Sanchez. “It’s a very nice, relaxed environment, and my favorite part is our bags, which is the most special collection.”
Indeed, the walls upon walls of CH’s most iconic bags are one of the store’s most prominent features. On one shelf are her famous Andy bags, named after good friend Andy Warhol, and marking the time Herrera hung out with him and another glamorous pal, Bianca Jagger, at Studio 54.
Next to them are her Vendome and Factory totes — another Warhol reference — and iconic Matryoshka bags, whose small, medium and large sizes nest within each other, just like their inspiration: Russian matryoshka dolls. There are leather swatches for clients who want their own custom Matryoshka bag, which take about two months to make.
Judging by her many millennial fans, ranging from supermodel Karlie Kloss to It girl Olivia Palermo to First Daughter Ivanka Trump, Herrera has managed to stay on top of the trends and relevant for 35 years, and the brand continues to grow in the region.
“In Asia we have 14 boutiques and this will be the 15th,” Sanchez says. “We started five years ago and want customers that come to our store to have perfect service. The Philippines shows nice potential. We feel that people were waiting for the brand, so we are optimistic.”
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The CH Carolina Herrera boutique is located on the ground floor of Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati.