It took one woman believing in her for Carolina Herrera to pick up a drawing pencil. God bless Diana Vreeland. Wes Gordon seems to have learned the lesson, filling the Fall 2026 runway with “a community of women, past and present, whose work and influence have shaped the landscape of art.” Honestly, perfect pick-me-up for a freezing Thursday morning in New York City’s Meatpacking District.
The story started with women long before the runway’s lineup. Peggy Guggenheim appeared on the moodboard, Sarah Oliphant covered the venue with hand-painted works, Amy Sherald, Anh Duong, Eliza Douglas, Floria Currin, Hannah Traore, Ming Smith and Rachel Feinstein, all walked Gordon’s creations. Painters, sculptors, gallerists, photographers close at hand, honoring the brand’s refined society-girl legacy, but pointing toward slightly more daring wardrobes.
If there’s one thing a Carolina Herrera runway will never forget, it’s florals. This year’s pick was a bold hand-painted red calla lily print. And it was followed by full-blown romantic flower patterns, with leopard prints not far behind. Vivid colors, black-and-white, structure, chiffons, knits, cocoon coats, cigarette pants, crisp jackets, easy dresses, all part of Gordon’s New Yorker.
Women of the arts weren’t decorative references, they were the focus, and the show bent around them. A conversation between creativity, identity, and those who have long shaped both finally started, right in the middle of a calendar that couldn’t run without them, yet too often marches on like they’re scenery. “I’m so lucky to work with the most amazing team of people who have really put a lot of thought and work into creating this character and this woman this season. It’s a fresh proposition for the Herrera woman for fall. She feels very New York. She feels very cool, confident and creative. I’m excited for people to get to know her,” Wes Gordon, we are too.
