The Carolina Herrera Pre-Fall 2019 collection manifests the rich life of the Manhattan bohemian as Wes Gordon exudes a certain confidence with a signature flamboyance and a surprising new sense of minimalism.

“How do you make elegance speak to a new generation? By breaking the myth that elegance has to be uptight,” Gordon said.

The collection featured a peacock green silk wool pantsuit, a dramatic to-the-floor black tuxedo dress and a shorter tuxedo dress in sapphire with an exuberant bow at the waist and flamingo pink lining. With tailoring trending elsewhere in the market, those were three smart developments.

With a twist came the crystal embroidery decorating cotton shirtdresses. On the more flamboyant side of the story, he pointed out a ruffled bustier in that same shade of flamingo pink. It was as effortlessly constructed as possible, where it once would’ve been heavily boned. The evening offering was characterized by a weightless insouciance that felt youthful and modern, from a silver paillette-strewn ivory tulle T-shirt dress to what Gordon described as a “goddess nun” robe in sweeping black and white chiffon.