It’s a cinch for Herrera even without Meghan in the front row
Even without the Duchess of Sussex on the front row at Carolina Herrera, excitement still shimmered above the gleaming white runway. There had been a rumour that Meghan would attend her friend Wes Gordon’s show, having been in New York for the weekend. But no matter: star quality abounded all the same.
Gordon, now firmly dug in as design director, showed confident choices everywhere. From the show venue, Battery Park Garden, to the quiet flamboyance of his approach to design – this chap is hitting his stride. Special occasionwear is his speciality, as befits the Herrera heritage for outfitting America’s most elegant women, but this time youthful, feisty tailoring in blue and white cotton stood out, too.
The show took inspiration from the blooms of California, a place dear to Gordon’s heart as the location for his wedding. The house colour yellow popped up in opulent giant flower prints contrasted with vivid blue in a full, floor-length skirt, and then again in lemon chiffon intricately dotted with black-edged, delicate petals. Chiffon off-the-shoulder flounces in blue or pinky orange tones floated in the balmy air of the garden.
Crisp white shirts with full-to-the-elbow pleated sleeves were cinched over wide, box-pleated cotton sateen flares and simple double-strapped flat sandals.
It was all so casual and easy to wear, the secret sighs of relief
amongst the high-heeled audience were palpable. A cape-backed, cream-coloured satin evening gown with a black bow was pure young Sixties. A favourite among snapping influencers seemed to be an utterly gorgeous balloon-sleeved mini dress in cream satin.
The brand’s star is in the ascendant under Gordon’s creative direction, with a new store opening this week. He has dressed the Duchess of Sussex on several occasions and she carried a Herrera tote for her visit to tennis’s US Open this weekend.
Outdoor dressing is a theme which New York Fashion Week is cashing in on while the warm weather holds up. Guests crossed 110th Street on Sunday night and headed to the Apollo Theater in Harlem where a cool runway set-up brought the theatre’s brick facade to life for Tommy Hilfiger’s latest collaboration with the Gen Z icon, Zendaya.
From studied tailoring in sumptuous fabrics to rakish fedoras and OTT shades, Hilfiger and Zendaya sought to celebrate “inclusivity, diversity and empowerment in fashion” and show a new take on power dressing. It was a sensational spectacle: young star guests performed alongside Zendaya, who has gone from strength to shining strength.
Hilfiger’s two-year collaboration with the young star is over but Zendaya is here to stay.