Carolina Herrera's 45th Anniversary Collection Pays Tribute to New York City

On Monday, the fashion industry — and celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Alexa Chung, Natalia Dyer, Ego Nwodim, Lucy Hale and Camila Mendes — gathered at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2027 runway show, which also marked the house’s 45th anniversary.

In addition to celebrating the brand and honoring the legacy of Mrs. Herrera herself, Creative Director Wes Gordon wanted to pay homage to New York City. “We’ve been doing destination shows: Last spring we were in Madrid, and before that, Mexico City and Rio. So this time we made our destination New York,” he told Fashionista backstage in a post-show interview.

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One nod to the city comes via a collaboration with The New Yorker: The collection features an embroidered version of the magazine cover that ran on the day of Mrs. Herrera’s first show in 1981, adorning both a marigold yellow mini dress and boatneck top. (There’s also a red knit featuring the magazine’s logo.)

Other cheeky NYC-specific details include black and white cookie earrings and frog adornments on handbags and earrings. “The frogs were a little reference to La Grenouille [French for “frog”], which was Mrs. Herrera’s favorite restaurant,” said Gordon. Renderings of Andy Warhol’s 1979 portrait of Mrs. Herrera also appear throughout the collection, on handbags and a mini dress. Gordon brought a clear playfulness to the designs, underscoring the celebratory nature of the show. “It was about characters. It was about clothes with soul, clothes that are fun,” he said.

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But where Mrs. Herrera and New York City were the inspirations, beauty was the true overall theme of the show. From the venue — one of Manhattan’s most beautiful theaters — and the thousands of yellow tulips that served as the striking center of the runway, to the baubles peppered throughout the show (a collaboration with Taffin and James de Givenchy) and the billowing trains, sheer fabrics and delicate details, the overall impact was a visual feast. “I just feel there’s a desire for beautiful, pretty things,” said Gordon. “Gone are the days where those are bad words.”

As for the designer’s favorite pieces (“It’s really hard to ask me [that] about two minutes after the show because I’m so emotionally invested in all 63 looks,” said Gordon of the question), “There’s a fabulous dress that I love that’s a silver lace dress with three tiers around the neck of gray organza and silver lace, a big black organza bow right at the front and then the back is completely cut out….I loved her. She was great,” he said.

For Gordon, Carolina Herrera’s 45th anniversary is a momentous occasion for the fashion industry — but also for New Yorkers, Americans, immigrants and women. Reflecting on its significance, he said: “This anniversary is really something that all of us as New Yorkers and Americans should celebrate because it’s a story of a woman who moved to New York from Venezuela. And in 1981 — as a mother of four in an industry that was largely male dominated — started a fashion line. One of the hardest industries, one of the hardest businesses, and here we are 45 years later. It’s a global super brand with fragrance, beauty, fashion, accessories, eyewear. I mean, it’s the American dream in so many ways. She’s a great American talent. She’s an icon and it’s my great honor to get to be a caretaker of her legacy.”

Ahead, see every look from Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2027 collection.