Carolina Herrera Fall Winter 05

[fashionaddict1]

Never liked but just seems to look older and older . . .

Those young girls look ridiculous in those clothes, her customer must be at least 55 plus

 

[TheSoCalledPrep]

i agree that she makes feminine clothing... but feminine does not mean what Vogue says is of the moment, and that's the feel this entire collection gives me... like a play on feminity. something's missing if she wants to be a truly classic designer..

i believe that "what the hell" thing is a take on those rabbit fur striped ponchos very popular with the fall formals and upcoming proms..

 

[Alura]

I think it's crap.

 

[LibertyRose]

It is ladylike gone wrong, Carolina is forever trying to do classic, but I also want to see something special about the clothes she makes.... It's all been seen before. At least she could add a touch of sophistication to her work. It's so boring to look at, it lacks originality, and yes, even a ladylike collection needs a little something extra, she's only bringing back pieces of the past, nothing more. Her color combinations are nothing exciting to the eye either. Though I do understand that it's what her clientele requires.

She'll be talking for hours about sophistication and elegance... ...what her pieces lack are simplicty. For example, there's gonna be so much detailing in a skirt, and add on to that the same for the top, it's so unappealing to the eye. I have trouble understanding why she constantly mentions in interviews she's looking for simplicity.

Carolina Herrera can be self-contradictory at times. For one past campaign, the slogan was something along the lines of the Herrera women never try hard to be elegant and chic. But it is quite apparant that all her collections are "proper" and pulled-together in a very deliberate way. They always look very done. The women who wear Herrera seem to be the types that spend hours getting ready. Such sophisticated control freaks.

But apart from the deceitful advertising, Herrera is a good designer and her clothes have gotten younger since her daughter Carolina Jr. joined the design team four seasons ago. The only thing that screams 'old lady only' are the suits and some but not all of the evening gowns. I think a lot of her knee-length cocktail frocks are lovely and the shoes, made by long-time collaborater Manolo Blahnik, are chic and flirty. And I think she does a white shirt better than Jil Sander.

I don't really understand how anyone can love Oscar de la Renta but hate Carolina Herrera at the same time. To me, they are in the same league. Both designers take pride in producing clothes that are baroque and feminine and both have carved out a niche market and came out strong after surviving the minimalist 90's. And they have both incorporated Latino inspirations into their work very well. In Herrera's case, she brought simplicity to formal evening wear by pairing a crisp white shirt with a bold, statement-making skirt. That's unique. I find it a bit unfair, not to mention harsh, to say that she is only rehashing old ideas. She may not be cutting-edge, but she definitely has a striking style.

But like many New York designers or designers in general, Herrera hasn't picked the right celebrities to dress. Armani's success is unmatched in that field, with the exception of picking Ashley Judd. Herrera's style is so deliberately feminine, she needs someone who is innately elegant to pull this off. Tomboys or village girls like Renee Zellweger or Katie Holmes just don't cut it. They don't "inhabit" the clothes. I have the same problem with Ralph Lauren's relationship with Jennifer Garner and Oscar de la Renta with Sarah Jessica Parker. Like Calvin Klein, they are still in search of their Gwyneth Paltrow.

Kimkhuu, I think the yellow dress on Marija could quality as "simple" and having a daring/unusual color. The red knee-length dress on Polina is also simple and chic. Badgley Mischka and Tuleh and Luca Luca fit your criticism better than Herrera, in my humble opinion.

 

[Misako]

I love that red dress...er...the one we see from the back.

 

[Dixie]

I love that red dress...er...the one we see from the back.

I love that one too. The first red dress is ugly.

 

[saturnine]

Yes that red dress looks interesting, from the side at least.

 

[Deleted member 1957]

very classic and elegant but am starting to get tired of the 'Hererra' look

 

[ms_prissy]

more looks...

love, love LOVE the second dress.

 

[mikeijames]

very classic and elegant but am starting to get tired of the 'Hererra' look

but would you ever have bought herrera in the first place? i think this stuff's perfectly herrerra and will sell like hot cakes. much more successful (focused) than last season.

 

[LibertyRose]

My faves:

These two have got Renee Zellweger potential:

 

[*Happiness*]

What the hell is this thing? I like the first look, though.

It looks like it on backwards.
I agree with the first look...i really like it. Carolina and her long skirts...she does it well.

 

[kimair]

i wouldn't be surprised to see renee at the oscars in this...especially since she's been loving brown recently

 

[marc jacobs addict]

^ I think that dress probably has AMAZING detail in its construction. I wish I could see it up close.

 

[pennyfei]

Just got a chance to look at this collection. the piece heather marks was wearing looks fine to me. Is it chinchilla or fox?

 

[LibertyRose]

i wouldn't be surprised to see renee at the oscars in this...especially since she's been loving brown recently

True! But I was only picking from the looks that I liked. This wasn't one of them. But I think Renee would look disastrous in this with her raven hair and pale skin.

And I think this frilly hem or whatever that is will be big in AW05. Have already seen it in other collections.

 

[brian]

And I think this frilly hem or whatever that is will be big in AW05. Have already seen it in other collections.

it just might. perhaps galliano's f/w 04 couture collection for dior had something to do with this...?