CAROLINA Herrera, the luxury fashion brand that has been on the New York Fashion Week schedule for nearly four decades, has opted not to show a Spring 2021 collection in the wake of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.
The Conversation by Lisa Immordino Vreeland featuring
Carolina Herrera and Wes Gordon
Fortunately, we’ve not been wholly without the magnetic presence of Mrs Herrera – in place of a runway show the house has presented The Conversation, an intimate discussion between the label’s founder and Wes Gordon, the brand’s Creative Director.
“Unrehearsed, unscripted and unfiltered”, The Conversation is arranged into four episodes – Fashion Is Magical, I Love New York, Life is in the Details, and The House of Herrera. Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, the wife of Diana Vreeland’s grandson, the pair were filmed in a single sitting inside Herrera’s Manhattan townhouse with four other people in the room while the remaining crew worked outside to ensure social distancing.
Carolina Herrera and Wes Gordon in The Conversation
As you would expect, the 81-year-old designer’s home is an eclectic yet tasteful blend of interiors, from large porcelain chickens nesting atop a carved chimneypiece to scenic paintings mounted on striped, pale blue wallpaper.
Wes Gordon in The Conversation
Discussing everything from taxi rides to Andy Warhol and design philosophies, the mini-documentary is a celebration of honesty, hope and the power of fashion. “Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to know Carolina Herrera in many different capacities. The Designer. The Mentor. The Icon. But the one I treasure most is my friend,” said Gordon in a statement, who will present the brand’s Spring 2021 collection later this year, after conceiving most of it in his garden in Connecticut.
“While she may not love the camera, the camera adores her. In a moment when New York City and fashion need magic more than ever, I wanted to sit down with my friend, Mrs Herrera, and let her share her wisdom and optimism.”
Carolina Herrera’s first runway show in New York City, 1981. Source: Youtube
by Joshua Hendren
Watch all four episodes of The Conversation now on Carolina Herrera and Youtube or, listen to the podcast version on Spotify