Carolina Herrera’s final bow

February 26, 2018

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Seventy-nine-year-old Venezuelan fashion designer Mrs. Carolina Herrera orchestrated her final New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show as the creative director of her eponymous fashion label, Carolina Herrera. Mrs. Herrera has created an empire of ready-to-wear clothing, wedding dresses, and eyewear, fragrance, and lifestyle collections, all of which have earned numerous honors and awards. The Monday, February 12 show marked the conclusion of Mrs. Herrera’s career, as she named American fashion designer Mr. Wes Gordon the new creative director of Carolina Herrera.

Model Sarah Dahl walks down the runway in a patterned button-down shirt.
Courtesy of Monica Feudi / Indigital.tv

Mrs. Herrera founded her brand in 1980, and, despite stepping down, she has made it clear that she will continue to work. Tuesday, February 13, Mrs. Herrera assumed her new position as Global Brand Ambassador for her company. Through this position, Mrs. Herrera will be able to attend store openings and events, according to The New York Times.
“I am not retiring! I am moving forward,” Mrs. Herrera said in an interview with The New York Times.
Mrs. Herrera has been building her brand for the past 37 years and has conducted over 72 shows. Ms. Diana Vreeland, Vogue Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief from 1962 to 1971, supported the first Carolina Herrera show in 1981, which took place at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, according to carolinaherrera.com.
In 2000, Mrs. Herrera opened her first flagship boutique, located on Madison Avenue in New York City. One year later, Mrs. Herrera established “CH Carolina Herrera,” a lifestyle collection and ready-to-wear clothing line for men, women, and children. The first “CH Carolina Herrera” store opened in Madrid, Spain.
In 2004, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awarded Mrs. Herrera with the “Womenswear Designer of the Year” award. That same year, Mrs. Herrera also received Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” award.
The CFDA honored Mrs. Herrera with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.  This award “recognizes the outstanding contributions made to American Fashion by individuals,” according to geoffreybeenefoundation.com.
Newly appointed creative director Mr. Gordon has served as Mrs. Herrera’s creative consultant since March 2017. Mr. Gordon’s fashion resumé includes experience in his own company and numerous prestigious awards. He had his own womenswear line, called Wes Gordon, from 2010 through 2016, according to CFDA.com.
One of the simplistic dress designs at the show.
Elisabeth Hall ’18

In 2012, Fashion Group International awarded Mr. Gordon with the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award. This award provides financial assistance to rising fashion designers and their brands. In addition, professionals in the fashion industry mentor the award recipients. In 2014, Mr. Gordon was a finalist for the CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund. His success led to Mrs. Herrera choosing him to continue her line.
“I trust him. Wes is the right person to continue my work,” Mrs. Herrera said in an interview, according to thecut.com.
Mrs. Herrera’s final show as creative director took place at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan. The unconventional location allowed models to walk outside in the courtyard and into the museum as opposed to a more traditional catwalk.
Industry professionals and Mrs. Herrera’s family and friends attended this show.  Mrs. Herrera’s husband Mr. Reinaldo Herrera Guevara arrived at the show with their daughters Ms. Patricia Herrera Lansing and Ms. Carolina Herrera Da Baez. Ms. Ana Luisa Behrens and Ms. Mercedes Behrens, Mrs. Herrera’s daughters from her first marriage, also supported Mrs. Herrera at the show.
Models wear bright skirts with colorful belts and Mrs. Herrera’s signature white button-down shirts.
Courtesy of Monica Feudi / Indigital.tv

Ms. Anna Wintour, Vogue Magazine’s current Editor-in-Chief, sat front row alongside supermodel Miss Karlie Kloss and designer Mr. Calvin Klein. Additionally, Nicaraguan human rights activist and former actress Ms. Bianca Jagger, who also attended Mrs. Herrera’s first show in 1981, attended this year’s show.
For the show’s finale, the models graced white button-down shirts, Mrs. Herrera’s signature look. When Mrs. Herrera took her final bow, she received a standing ovation from the audience. She invited Mr. Gordon to the runway, who presented her with flowers.
Sacred Heart Greenwich senior Elisabeth Hall attended Mrs. Herrera’s final show with her mother and sister. Although it was Mrs. Herrera’s final show, it was Elisabeth’s first time attending NYFW. Elisabeth believes that the finale of Mrs. Herrera’s show was a beautiful culmination of her time as creative director.
“Mrs. Carolina Herrera’s incorporation of the original white button-down shirt, colorful skirt, and simple bow was an impactful and significant part of the show,” Elisabeth said. “Through including this design, she closed her final show with a demonstration of personal aesthetic, as well as the simplistic design which influenced almost all of her collections as a designer.”
-Jackie Shannon, Social Media Editor and Co-Video Content Editor