Carolina Herrera’s codes found fresh expression this week in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. The 15th-century marketplace, the epicenter of the Old City, became the the backdrop for the New York house’s Spring 2026 presentation—one that paid ambitious tribute to its host city.
“The collection centered around three flowers: a carnation, a rose, and the violetta—or violet—which is also the name of an iconic candy that they sell in Madrid,” Wes Gordon, the house’s creative director, told CULTURED before the show.
The city’s cultural history, recent and distant, offered ample material for Gordon, who pulled from its Renaissance richesse and the residue of the La Movida movement—a creative revolution in the 1980s that accompanied the country’s democratic transition. “Madrid really informed every decision I was making, as a point of inspiration,” Gordon said.
Capes and evening dresses replete with petals of tulle and textural roses, among nods to the aforementioned flora, drifted down the runway alongside contemporary silhouettes (think mini-dresses in electric hues, or with see-through inlays) Three new clutches—the Mimi, the Lola, and the Pía—punctuated the tumble of fabrics and Gordonian hallmarks, adorned with tassels, polka dot clasps, and chain straps.
The runway also paid tribute to Spanish artisans past and present—one of Gordon’s specialties as a master of craft-forward references. Highlights include Palomo, the 10-year-old Madrid-based gender-fluid label known for reimagining classic menswear and shirting. Alejandro Gómez Palomo, the brand’s eponymous founder, contributed a reimagined version of the classic Herrera white shirt (“I challenged him to do five interpretations,” Gordon recalled) and archival capes from Casa Seseña—the Madrid atelier that has been bedecking clients since 1901—contributing windswept grandeur to Gordon’s collection. “Picasso is buried in one. Both Mr. and Mrs. Herrera used to wear them. It’s an amazing company,” Gordon added.
Will this departure from the fashion calendar—and the brand’s New York home—continue next season? Difficult to say. “I love New York, and I love New York Fashion Week—I’m proud to be a part of it,” the designer affirmed.
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