Carolina Herrera Pre-Fall ’21 Is All About Polka Dots And ‘The Greatest City In The World’

There’s arguably nothing more integral to the Carolina Herrera brand than a polka dot—unless you’re talking about a white shirt tucked into a voluminous skirt!—and so for Pre-Fall, creative director Wes Gordon leaned heavily on the bold and loud print.

The result was an uplifting, unashamedly buoyant collection of staples Mrs. H would be proud of: taffeta ball skirts, ruffles and bows, parachute gowns, city shorts, and palazzo pants in punchy colors and striking prints. A graphic zebra-like pattern was also reoccurring, influenced by one that Herrera once wore herself. And because all fashion norms have gone out the window this year, Gordon enlisted the house’s couture artisans—traditionally reserved for more formal pieces—to work on pieces for daytime wear.

In his collection notes, Gordon said that the offering was an homage to New York, the city that the brand’s founder (a Venezuela-native) has made her home for the past 40 years. In particular, he sought inspiration from a 1962 British Vogue photoshoot by David Bailey, featuring his muse Jean Shrimpton frolicking around the Manhattan sidewalks in the rain: “Every time I flip through it the energy and freshness of the images, nearly 60 years after being shot, feels more inspiring and relevant to me than ever,” Gordon said.

“Through the highs and lows, we’re always proud to call this city home,” he added. This collection is for the New New York and the new now. Because we stand at the cusp of change. And it’s all happening here, in the greatest city in the world.”

See the full collection below:

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