FLASH FASHION: Carolina Herrera’s Garden Of Gowns

by Verena von Pfetten | 4:51 pm, September 13th, 2010

Carolina Herrera is known for two things: her red carpet-ready gowns and her classic, if skewed slightly older, ready to wear. At Monday morning’s Spring/Summer 2011 runway show, both were on display and in full bloom. Literally.

After being corralled — somewhat humiliatingly, but that’s what its like to be a blogger at Fashion Week — in the standing room section, we were finally given a seat with a perfect view of the runway and one side of the front row, where we saw the Elle crew — Robbie Myers, Alexis Bryan Morgan, and Joe Zee — as well as a gorgeously pregnant Nina Garcia.

But back to the clothes. The collection drew no shortage of inspiration from Asian — specifically Korean — influences, the over-arching theme seemed to be Herrera’s garden. Gowns were made with large prints of old-fashioned botanical plates — you know, like your grandmother has — and skirts and day dresses featured flowers both printed and ornamental.

We loved the mini obi belts and origami-esque folding, but suspect Herrera’s praise will come from her evening wear. Karlie Kloss closed the show in an almost-too-voluminous empire waist gown that, with perhaps a slight decrease in frontal fabric, would find a perfect home on a young Oscar-nominated starlet.