Two Fashion Icons

If you were to hold court with the Queens of American Fashion, one designer sure to be in the room is Carolina Herrera. There isn’t a woman on the planet who would not want to wear one of her garments and feel really special.

The thing I really love about Ms. Herrera is that she never steps onto the runway at the end of a show looking bedraggled. Putting together a collection is a grueling process and it is sometimes a rush at the last minute to get it all pulled together. You would never know that watching Carolina Herrera acknowledge her guests. She is polished, poised and always radiant. It is almost as if she glows and her collections show it.

I must confess that before looking at the daywear, I went straight to the wedding collection. Even if you aren’t in the market for a wedding gown there is something about the look of a wedding dress and the images that are portrayed. I was not at all disappointed with the collection. No matter what your style; no matter what silhouette you are seeking you will find it in the collection. There is everything from the Princess and her court to that body conscious look that a bride of 30 would love to put on and be whisked away in.

But we are not here to chat about wedding gowns. We are here to chat about the fall collection (which will be in the stores before we know it). Again, I was not disappointed. Of course there were the camels and grays and this incredibly wonderful ruby color. Calling it red would be an injustice. It is rich and truly complements the grays and creams that are splashed on the garments. Her incredible use of color and texture is beyond description. And the cut of the garments is phenomenal. There are some of the most sumptuous trousers that I have seen in a while. They are cut to fit at the waist (none of this low-slung madness with 4 inch zippers). The legs are full and straight and that allows you to really see the drape of the fabric.

I could go on but with is the point. This is a collection you really need to view for yourself. If you are a real fashionista and a Carolina Herrera lover, it is time to scare up as much money as you can and grab a piece or two from this collection. It is timeless and unlike some clothing acquisitions these garments will not become passé, they will surely become vintage.

And now by contrast Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga is the other side of the coin. Rather than the classic fall look, he has given us something that seems light and fun. It is almost as if he was creating an all season collection. The blues, pale grays and whites go well with the garments he has designed. The look is young and fresh and there are even a couple of looks that a woman of my age would love to have in her closet.

With some of the looks I felt like I was back in the 60’s but not really. It was almost that futuristic Jetson’s feel. It was what we imagined the future would bring us as opposed to what actually arrived. But none the less, there is something classic in some of the looks. It is a blend of fun, ease and wearability (a fashion word that should be in the dictionary by now).

Again, you really need to look at this collection for yourself. A couple of my friends were stunned that I had good things to say about it. They see me as being more classic than edgy and more tailored than deconstructed. However, if they really look at the collection there is a great deal of tailoring in the pieces I would acquire. Check out the pale gray looks worn by Liya Kebede and Sasha Pivovarova. Those I would add to my closet in a heartbeat.

So ladies, get on the internet and look at these shows. The pre-fall collections are arriving in a couple of weeks. It is going to be a great season as we have returned to clothes that you can wear and keep in your closet for many years to come.

a la prochaine

Debra