Carolina Herrera’s Resort Show Makes a Case for the Power of Beauty

As Gordon explained the day before the show, the collection was conceived as a love letter to Mexico City. “I first came here years ago and fell in love with it because it has all of the things we love to celebrate at Herrera,” he said. “The color, the energy, the joie de vivre—all of it is so embodied by this city, and there’s a real energy here that you can feel.”

Color was the focus, as it typically is for Gordon, only this time the palette was directly pulled from the vibrant local landscape, specifically the sunsets of Mexico City: marigold, kelly green, cerulean, fuchsia, and that beautiful pink, a color that calls to mind one of the country’s most iconic architects, Luis Barragán.

An embroidered set

The looks that followed the first were filled with pure, delicious glamour anchored in jewel tones, like a beautifully tailored, embroidered rose-hued cropped jacket and miniskirt, as well as a set that used the same material but included a balloon-sleeved jacket worn open at the front. These latter pieces were part of a collaboration between Gordon and four Mexican female artisans with whom he worked on details for pieces like the aforementioned skirt sets, couture gowns, and a beautiful sapphire-colored double-breasted jacket with ceramic tile buttons and a matching wide-leg trouser.

The buttons, as well as a few of the jewelry pieces, were made by an artisan named Jacqueline España from the state of Tlaxcala, while embroideries were crafted by María de los Ángeles Licona from Hidalgo and Virginia Verónica Arce, also from Tlaxcala, whose work was showcased on three of the most beautiful lace dresses in the collection. Araceli Nibra Matadamas, who is based in Oaxaca, worked with her team of local artisans to create hand-painted jewelry inspired by jícaras, which are traditional bowls made from dried gourd shells.

Gordon partnered with Mexican artisans on the buttons and jewelry

There was great care and dedication to honoring the local culture in this collection, and the efforts felt genuine and organic rather than forced (as often happens in the fashion sphere when too much marketing gets in the way.) Seventy percent of the models were Mexican, along with 100 percent of the hair and makeup teams that worked on the show.

This collection marked the label’s first see-now-buy-now effort, and it also included a brand new collaboration with Frame. These pieces—red high-waisted skinny jeans and skirts and jean jackets in rich tones—were major highlights last night.

During the finale, the audience cheered and danced along to the music. The feeling was one of joy, the kind of electricity you get while wandering aimlessly through the charming neighborhoods of Mexico City, popping in and out of contemporary-art galleries, getting lost in the markets, or staring at one of those pink walls designed by Barragán, mesmerized by the way the structure is synergized with the ground and the sky.

Another look at the jewelry

After the show ended, I kept thinking about that conversation I’d had with Gordon the morning before. We were discussing the importance of beauty, which is so ripe and robust in Mexico but also gets forgotten or taken for granted in a world—particularly in America right now—where optimism is hard to come by.

As a designer, Gordon takes an optimistic approach that’s effervescent and not at all naive. His process is rooted in the pursuit of beauty, and that gives his customers, who he feels close to, a sense of uninhibited opulence that is as wearable as it is head-turning. For many people, getting dressed can feel like a chore or, at best, a boring necessity, but it has the power to be a significant place of joy. You could see it not only in last night’s collection but also among the hundreds of Herrera-heads, from influencers to ladies who lunch, seated in the audience.

Gordon swears by “the promise of a pretty dress”

“It’s not a shameful thing to put on a dress and feel beautiful,” Gordon said. “That’s what we represent as a house, is the promise of a pretty dress.” Gordon’s magic lies in his ability to create fantastical, transformative clothing led by glamour while still understanding and empowering artisan craftsmanship. It’s important to know that the two things can exist on the same plane and, as a result, spark delight.

“I think joyfulness and beauty can be contagious,” Gordon added. “I think you can have an impact by creating beauty. Beauty is not frivolous. I think it’s needed and necessary and an antidote to darkness more often than not.”

By the time we left the museum, it was dark and a full moon was shining overhead. People were dancing the night away at the afterparty, which was held in the garden area at another pavilion just next to the main building. They sipped palomas and margaritas and ate bites from the city’s lauded restaurant Contramar. Again, joy was everywhere. Even after the sun went down and the sky was black, you could still feel the punch and power of Gordon’s clothes. The only shame was not getting to see the museum during the day, but it gave us all another reason to come back to Mexico City, to keep exploring and looking for more of that beautiful, good-for-the-soul kind of light.

Open Gallery

Brooke Bobb is the fashion news director at Harper’s Bazaar, working across print and digital platforms. Previously, she was a senior content editor at Amazon Fashion, and worked at Vogue Runway as senior fashion news writer.