Carolina Herrera

The Fashion Statement: Long, Lean and Ladylike

Filed under: Apparel, The Fashion Statement

Among the oddball indicators of the economic future, hem lengths are one of the more popular. Urban lore says short skirts reflect a bullish stock market and hems drop when people get down on their luck.

New York Fashion Week officially wraps up today and, one of the take away messages is longer hems are here to stay. Ne fret pas: That doesn't mean we're in for another meltdown. In fact, the industry has been showing signs of a turnaround. Nevertheless, hems lowered in the middle of the downturn and longer silhouettes seem to be having a lasting effect on fashion.

Except for a nod to the '70s last season, Marc Jacobs has been flirting with a more demure, sophisticated look for a few seasons now. For fall, he showed grown up silhouettes ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Dior's New Look from the '40s in futuristic materials such as a metallic rubber, fur and cellophane.

Looks for the boardroom are what Donna Karan does best, and she was clearly enamored with '50s silhouettes for today's all-business woman. Bloggers mentioned Tippi Hedren and Grace Kelly as a way to describe the Hollywood glamour Karan managed to add to her working girls.

Gallery: NYFW

Tags: Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, marc jacobs, michael kors, new york fashion week 2011, new york fashion week fall 2011

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The Fashion Statement: Designer Kids Lines Boom

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, The Fashion Statement

A week ago, I wrote about the hordes of celebrities with baby bumps on the red carpet during awards season. Well, designers must have been some kind of soothsayers, because several spent a good part of last year developing and launching children lines. Soon, they will no doubt see the fruits of their labor (sorry), as more and more of these privileged babies are born.

Jennifer Lopez's twins, Max and Emme, were the stars of Gucci's advertising campaign to publicize its designer munchkin wear (0 to 8 year-olds) which debuted late last year. Lopez said this week she only agreed to let her kids be photographed because it was for a good cause. Gucci pledged $1 million to UNICEF's Schools for Africa initiative.

Tags: Carolina Herrera, dolce and gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, jean paul gaultier, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Preen, Ralph Lauren, stella mccartney, Tommy Hilfiger

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The Fashion Statement: Will 2011 be the Year of the Hat?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Hats worn for the express purpose of style hasn't been widely popular since the '20s. Millinery did have a brief comeback in the '80s when Princess Diana gave visibility to the British tradition of wearing hats for special occasions. Now Kate Middleton is again putting a modern face under the British topper. And numerous designers on both sides of the pond made the hat a central focus of their spring/summer runway collections. And then there is Lady Gaga entertaining us all with her theatrical chapeaus.

Not since the '80s have we seen so many hats! So we wonder: Could 2011 be the year of the hat?

Arguably the most buzzed about accessory of the season was the colorful, wide-brimmed hat like the one above at Prada. Badgley Mischka and Marc Jacobs channeled Jodi Foster in Taxi Driver with their bright pink versions shown over hair that had been appropriately curled and frizzed. Sally Field in The Flying Nun would have fit right in at Missoni where almost every model wore hats that flapped down the runway like wings. And Alberta Ferretti went boho by pairing floppy fringed brims with her collection of gauzy ethereal gowns.

Gallery: Hat Gallery

Tags: Alberta Ferretti, ann demeulemeester, Anna Sui, BadgleyMischka, Carolina Herrera, Christian Dior, dsquared2, Giles Deacon, Hermes, issey miyake, John Galliano, John paul gaultier, just cavalli, Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga, Missoni, moschino, Prada, Princess Diana, Sonia Rykiel, YohjiYamamoto

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Inside the Homes of American Fashion Designers

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Decor, Books, Celebrity Design, Architecture & Design

Assouline has released the latest luxe edition in its American Fashion series, dedicated to the top-drawer designers who are members of the prestigious CFDA. American Fashion Designers at Home showcases the personal spaces of more than 100 fashionistas, including Diane von Furstenburg, Oscar de la Renta, Cynthia Rowley and Kate Spade. While some designer dwellings are extensions of the sensibilities embodied by their apparel collections, others exhibit a marked contrast. The domiciles range from studio apartments to sprawling estates, but all are linked by a keen aesthetic sense. Included are Carolina Herrera's grand Louis XV–influenced New York apartment; Betsey Johnson's girly glamourpuss garret; Ralph Lauren's luxuriously rustic Colorado ranch; Donna Karan's tranquil Turks & Caicos getaway; Tommy Hilfiger's over-the-top Greenwich mansion; Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa's ultra-modern Manhattan aerie; and Johann Lindeberg's converted Greenwich Village factory (on the book's cover, above). Check out the gallery for a preview of Randolph Duke's Hollywood spread (which he recently sold for $5.3 million), David Chu's chic digs and more.

Gallery: American Fashion Designers at Home

Tags: Assouline, books, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, CFDA, coffe table books, Colorado, David Chu, decor, designer, Diane von Furstenburg, Donna Karan, estates, fashion, fashion design, fashion designers, Greenwich Village, interior design, Kate Spade, New York, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Randolph Duke, Turks Caicos

The Fashion Statement: NY Fashion Week Gets Underway

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, The Fashion Statement

New York Fashion Week has officially begun here at the Lincoln Center, marking the first time in 17 years the main hub has been anywhere else but Bryant Park.

Yesterday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg kicked off the week, declaring the city the capital of fashion and noting that the Lincoln Center location was appropriate given that fashion is art. He even renamed a subway stop nearby "The Fashion Line."

According to Bloomberg-the wire service, that is-this is the biggest Fashion Week ever with more than 325 designers showing around town through the end of next week. At Lincoln Center, 97 designers will show, up from 75 one year ago.

Show producers say the reason for the uptick is more space and better technology. Among the biggest techie changes are self-service kiosks to detect bar-codes on invitations that will do away with check-in lines and, along with them, probably more than a few catfights. It will also likely prevent show crashers.

Among the trends we should expect to see for Spring 2011? The color orange, maxi skirts, Yves Saint Laurent-esque pantsuits, hot pants and dressy shorts. If resort 2011 is any predictor, we'll also see looser silhouettes-roomy tops worn with roomy bottoms. (The old rule of slim on top, roomy on bottom and vice versa no longer applies). The season is expected to be very colorful, too, doing away with nudes, camel and beiges we've seen in the last few seasons. Finally, blazers sans shoulder pads will be there. Think Julia Roberts après makeover in Pretty Woman.

Tags: Anna Wintour, Blake Lively, Carolina Herrera, fashion week, gisele bundchen, Lincoln Center, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Tommy Hilfiger

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Bid On Sofia Vergara's Emmy Dress

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Auctions, Charity

Just about everyone swooned for Sofia Vergara of ABC's "Modern Family" when she walked the Emmy Awards red carpet on Sunday. Vergara looked like an award herself in a pale yellow Carolina Herrera strapless gown embellished with gold and silver sequin detail. She teamed up with hair care brand Suave Professionals to let America choose her red carpet hairstyle for the evening and her classic glamour girl curls were chosen by votes and styled by Suave Professionals Celebrity Stylist Jenny Cho.

Sofia's entire award show style (sans jewels of course) – the dress and the Suave Professionals products used to create the winning look are up for bid through Clothes Off Our Backs, the charity that auctions off celebrity items for good causes. Proceeds from the auction benefit Clothes Off Our Back's charities including Feeding America, Malaria No More, Hope North, AbilityFirst, Villa Esperanza and Alex's Lemonade Stand. The auction ends September, 13, 2010 and bidding starts at $1,000.

Tags: Carolina Herrera, clothes off our backs, Emmy awards, Emmy Awards 2010, Sofia Vergara

Carolina Herrera To Be Honored With "Mercedes-Benz Presents" Title

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Design

Carolina Herrera will receive the distinguished title of "Mercedes-Benz Presents" designer for this season's spring/summer 2011 collection debuting on Monday, September 13, at 10 am at Lincoln Center, the new home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The Mercedes-Benz Presents program has recognized designers who demonstrate dedication to the use of quality materials, unique style and innovative design for the past seven years.

Herrera has designed for many celebrities and high-profile clients including Renee Zellweger, Amy Adams, Michelle Pfeiffer, Emily Blunt, Oprah Winfrey, and Camilla Belle. She joins a prestigious list of past Mercedes-Benz Presents designers including Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, Narciso Rodriguez, and CHADO Ralph Rucci.

"Carolina Herrera's understated grace, precision design and attention to detail uphold the Mercedes-Benz commitment to quality," said Lisa Holladay, manager of brand experience marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA. "She is a symbol of great success within the fashion industry and especially in New York City, and choosing her as this season's Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer represents the strength of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the event's bright future at Lincoln Center."

Born in Venezuela, Herrera began her fashion career in New York in 1980 and will celebrate 30 years of her eponymous collection in 2011.

Source

Tags: awards, Carolina Herrera, fashion, Fashion Week, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, new york fashion week fall 2010

Carolina Herrera Says Luxury Is Back

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

A lot of people have been wondering when luxury is coming back. It's been a tough few years for luxury brands. The recession has seen esteemed jewelers like Henry Dunay and fashion designers like Christian Lacroix lose their businesses. Whole chains of stores have been swallowed up. But if you ask the forever elegant fashion designer Carolina Herrera when luxury is returning she says it's already back. The Wall Street Journal has an interview with Herrera who says that her customers are beginning to spend once again. Herrera is best known for her ladylike gowns and dresses, which can cost over $10,000.

Her version of the new luxury walked the runway in her fall 2010 fashion show this week in New York City. Her designs did not stint on the expensive materials like mink and eel. The silhouette was ladylike and refined but also unapologetically lush. These are rich women's clothes. While Herrera has lowered her prices around ten percent and does have a successful second tier line she has no plans to embrace fast fashion. She has found that while her shoppers may be buying fewer clothes they are not willing to stop shopping entirely. In some ways what she speaks of is an older definition of luxury, the way it once was before mass luxury flooded the market. Women would shop carefully, select judiciously and expect clothing to last. It can be called thrift but it can also be seen as a mark of class.

Tags: Carolina Herrera, Carolina Herrera Runway, CarolinaHerrera, CarolinaHerreraRunway, fashion week fall 2010, FashionWeekFall2010, luxury

The Fashion Statement: Orange You Glad...?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Who can forget the scene in The Devil Wears Prada in which Miranda (Meryl Streep) lectures Andy (Anne Hathaway) on cerulean blue?

...I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? Cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.

The rant is memorable no only because it was snarky, but also because it was informative. That's exactly how it happens. Silhouettes and colors take on lives of their own and, before you know it, you have a full-fledged trend.

Halfway through New York fashion week, there's indication orange could be the next cerulean blue, in a manner of speaking (purple and red have been in the limelight recently).

Designers presented several orange "groups" -- three or four looks in one color scheme -- in their collections. Donna Karan's orange gowns and dresses were striking against a mostly pale palette of grays, silver and white. At Carolina Herrera (pictured above), orange gowns and dresses played beautifully off of an array of purple gowns. Carlos Miele showed a killer short cocktail dress with a racer back, one of the highlights of his show.

If that's the color of spring, thank goodness it's flattering. Orange you glad we aren't talking about mustard green?

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Orange You Glad...?

Mercedes-Benz Presents Fashion Week Spring 2010 Official Coverage

lie Tahari - Presentation - Spring 2010 MBFW

A model wears a creation by Carlos Miele

Tags: Carlos Miele, CarlosMiele, Carolina Herrera, CarolinaHerrera, Donna Karan, DonnaKaran, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, The Devil Wears Prada, TheDevilWearsPrada

Renee Reinvents Wedding Dress

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping

Most wedding dresses, in all their white, frilly glory, are worn one time, no matter how much they cost to begin with. They are then resold or relegated to the back of a closet. Renee Zellweger didn’t want her dress to meet the same fate and now that her marriage to country star Kenny Chesney is over, she has reinvented it as a party dress. Renee dyed the Carolina Herrera dress sapphire blue and had it shortened to just above the knee. Given that most celebrities are content to wear a dress only once, it must be a testament either to the designer or to Renee's lack of sentimentality.