Carolina Herrera Spring 2011

A jeweled evening gown topped by a staw hat: chic.
(Photos from Vogue.com)
I have been admiring the Spring 2011 collection of Carolina Herrera, shown last week in New York City. Carolina Herrera was born and grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, the daughter of the aristocratic governor of Caracas. Carolina, who has two daughters from a previous marriage, is married to Reinaldo Herrera, special projects editor at Vanity Fair, and they have two adult children – Patricia and Carolina, who works with her mother at her fashion company and is married to an ex-bullfighter.

In 1980 Carolina Herrera started her designer label with the encouragement of none other than Diana Vreeland. I am drawn to Carolina's work because it is definitely luxe and rich but there is a simplicity to it too, like her signature work outfit of a crisp white shirt and a black or grey skirt. I like her combination of the refined and the casual, for example finishing a gown with a straw hat, belting a skirt with a bit of string, or combining a ball skirt with a tee shirt. Her style is romantic but modern, and she also has a wonderful sense of color. I think that's why Jackie Onassis was a big fan of hers too.

The show notes said the designer was inspired for this collection by traditional clothes of Korea. A red silk dress in an Asian print was finished with a jeweled obi belt.

while a light summer skirt was tied with red string.

For this collection, Manolo Blahnik designed shoes that featured what looked like Asian boxes wrapped in red.

Herrera was also inspired by eighteenth century floral prints. You can even see the tape depicted in the print.

I love the combination of colors below. These colors remind me of Christian Lacroix.

For evening there was this vivid orange gown accessorized with a Korean fisherman's hat.

This gown comes with its own "diamond" brooch of embroidered crystals.

A beautiful blouse and skirt: John Singer Sargent style for 2011.

Like a watercolor wash, embroidered black beads zig-zag down the front of this gown

which is topped with a straw hat.

Here is an eighteenth century floral print interpreted in a gown and belted with a green ribbon, perfect for a spring dance at the botanical garden.

This confection features the floral print as an underskirt topped by a pouf of silk which has pockets for a casual stance.

Eighteenth century style for today, no?

Beautiful details.

Hats off to La Herrera.

The Joy of Lacroix

The Spring 2009 couture shows were recently shown in Paris, and you can see them online at Style.com. They do a great thing at Style.com which is provide detail shots which are fun to look at. After all, in matters of style, God is in the details.
Christian Lacroix is a great master at combining all kinds of colors, fabrics, textures, and shapes. His combinations are infinite and extraordinary; they go on and on -- stripes and polka dots and you name it, he can do it. These are happy clothes. They make you smile and be glad to see them. He really is an artist in the way that he mixes colors like paint. I mean, isn't this a beautiful thing?

Brush strokes of red, yellow, orange, pink, and then on top, slashes of green and blue. The whole rainbow in one detail. Draped chiffon, satin ribbons and plastic bangles make up a delicious composition -- art that moves on the body.

This looks like three necklaces piled on one another. Red coral, blue beads, white drops. The French are so good at this sort of thing.


This is one long crazy necklace on top of a wildly striped chiffon caftan. The necklace is an asymetrcial concoction and drips with beads and sparkles. This detail is reminding me of India, and Auntie Mame. Wouldn't you love to see a hostess in Westport throw a fondue party in this outfit?

Monsieur Lacroix inspires with his joyful, exuberant creativity.