Last week I was honored to be invited to my first fashion presentation- at Carolina Herrera’s Madison Avenue showroom.  It was a lovely event, complete with a light brunch and gifts of Vie Luxe candles for attendees.  Unfortunately Mrs. Herrera did not grace us with her presence; however, I once saw her standing on the first floor of her showroom as I was passing by outside.  Of course, she was perfectly coiffed and wearing her signature white button down shirt with elegant espadrilles.

Carolina Herrera, known for creating luxurious, feminine fashion that epitomizes ladylike chic, has dressed stylish women from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Renee Zellweger.   She is a recipient of Spain’s Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts and winner of both the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Womenswear Designer of the Year (2004) and the CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award (2008).

Even though Carolina Herrera’s price points may be beyond most of our budgets, we can still find inspiration for our own personal styleaspirations.  I captured photos of some of the looks that most inspired me.  In order to not create a disturbance, I sat in the second row, so my iPhone photos are not the greatest.  I have supplemented them with runway photos of the looks that I viewed.

At the presentation I attended, the models’ makeup was soft with shimmering lipstick.  Their faces were pale and highlighted with dabs of blush.  The models’ hair was manipulated into minimalist, sleek ponytails that did not detract from the beauty of the clothing.

In Ms. Herrera’s Spring 2013 collection, ivory dominated, along with orange, seafoam green, yellow, and black.  Many of the pieces were printed with geometric or abstract patterns.  The collection focused on knee length and floor length sleeveless dresses, often worn with thin belts.  The cuts and materials, such as chiffon, crepe, and organza, lent to the overall light and soft draping effect of the clothing.  A few of the dresses had tiny buttons running down the back, a la Pippa Middleton as maid of honor.  There were a couple of pants outfits featured with a decidedly 70’s vibe; high waisted pants with a fuller leg were paired with a drapey bow blouse.  The collection was worn with criss-crossing stacked heeled sandals in complementing colors.

It’s difficult to see in the photo, but my favorite piece was a pale seafoam green dress in a jacquard-type print that had a high waist and a fuller skirt. The dress was also made into a longer evening gown. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate clearer photos of these pieces. I loved the colors and the simplicity of these pieces. Inspired by 1950’s fashion, they seemed to elicit the most admiration from the group.

What do you think of Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2013 collection? 
Which designer’s presentation would you most like to attend? 
Which designers’ Spring 2013 collections do you prefer?