A little over five years ago, Carolina Herrera passed down the torch of her eponymous luxury fashion label to Wes Gordon, a young designer also with his own namesake brand.
Since then, Gordon has preserved the legacy and craft of the Carolina Herrera brand, which first launched in 1981, whilst also presenting his own unique take on the New York-based fashion house.
Having recently presented his 11th collection for the Maison, it’s evident Gordon has introduced a more chic, elegant, everyday-wear side to Carolina Herrera, whilst also safeguarding the iconic codes of the luxury house. And he’s also here to ensure Carolina Herrera makes its mark globally.
The first stop? Dubai. Carolina Herrera is this season’s esteemed guest of honour for Dubai Fashion Week, showcasing the latest SS24 collection by the creative director.
“This is a region that is so inspiring to me,” he tells GRAZIA, sitting down with us ahead of the official DFW SS24 inauguration. “It has such a blend of so many different people and cultures.”
It’s a place where, in his words, has “real energy” and the women in the UAE are the “exact women I design for at Herrera”.
Below, we delve into more detail with Gordon about his penchant for the Middle East, the milestones he’s had during his five-year creative directorship at Carolina Herrera, and what exactly he and Mrs Herrera talk about when they meet.
On Dubai Fashion Week
“It’s my first time to be here for Dubai Fashion Week, I’m thrilled to introduce her new collection to the women of Dubai. This is a region that’s, that’s so inspiring to me. It’s such a blend of so many different people and cultures. There’s a real energy here. I’ve brought with us my newest collection, which was spring that we showed during fashion week in New York at the Whitney Museum. It just came straight from Paris, it was in our Paris showroom and it arrived here. I also sprinkled in a few other things, some looks that no one’s seen before, as well as a couple of my favourite pieces from our show in Rio in June. So, the idea is that we’ve created a presentation in a room where we have live models that will be standing like sculptures throughout the room and pieces from the collection.”
On SS24 and the Evolution Of Carolina Herrera
“In the past, Herrera was very much a brand in the region that women would go to for a piece for their most special occasions. Over the past five years, since I’ve been there, we’ve really shifted that thinking to be a brand, where you go to find a piece that you fall in love with. And when you wear it, it turns any occasion, whether it’s lunch with friends, or just being at home by yourself into a special occasion. Regardless of the dress code, regardless of the occasion if something makes you feel great, and it makes you feel beautiful, wear it whenever you want. So with our latest show, I really pushed that further. It’s this idea of a woman taking her own personality and really playing with her pieces. I have been so lucky to work with an incredible atelier in our office of pattern makers and seamstresses and tailors and I love nothing more than taking a sketch that begins its life as this very elaborate evening gown with rosettes twisted into the shoulders and an incredible drape. And rather than cutting it in the silk taffeta, cutting it in a cotton shirting, you know, kind of challenging that notion of what is what and taking that same level of craft and love and emotion into pieces for the everyday.”
The Women Of The GCC
“Historically, women here have just loved fashion, they’ve loved colour they love to dress up – and that’s the exact woman that I designed for at Herrera. There’s also this old-fashioned idea that, you know, the region is [very focussed on] evening wear and heavy embellishment and very dressy clothes. I think that’s becoming less and less true. You know, I think it’s a region of women who appreciate beautiful clothes. I think she’s looking for beautiful clothes to wear during the day. She’s looking for beautiful clothes to wear during the evening. But it’s no longer just about this over-the-top gown. I think the customer here who’s so fashionable and so savvy when it comes to fashion is really blending her wardrobe to be much more about not just special occasions.”
His Favourite Thing About Dubai
“Dubai just always has this incredible aura around it. It’s very futuristic. Before I visited Dubai, I just imagined this magical, cosmopolitan city of glass spires erupting from the sands of the desert – and it’s so true. I remember the first time I went to Burj Khalifa, it’s the most incredible building. But what you come to learn the more time you spend here is that in addition to the amazing architecture, the people are amazing too. And there’s a real joie de vivre for life and celebration and hospitality, and all of these things just combined to make it such a unique place to be.”
“Silly Gossip” With Mrs Herrera
Well, my main milestone began, of course, with giving Mrs Herrera a bouquet of roses at her last show. She went out for a final bow I went out and gave her a bouquet of red roses. And the next day I started work as creative director. You know, she’s been an amazing friend ever since then. But she’s not involved in the business. When we get together, she doesn’t want to talk at all about work. Instead, we talk about our dogs, TV shows are watching, you know, silly gossip, all sorts of fun things but never about work.
The Main Milestones
“We’ve had some amazing celebrity moments, but something I’m particularly always excited about are those moments when I’m at a party, I’m in a restaurant, I’m at an airport, I’m driving in a car down straight and see someone on the sidewalk, I see a woman out in the wild, wearing a piece that I’ve designed. Because that, to me, is the ultimate sign of success when, someone who has so many different options – we all know how many clothes there are in the world right now – finds and falls in love with a piece that we’ve created enough to buy it and wear it. Those are, you know, I can remember every one of those moments. And those are my milestones.”
