Carolina Herrera’s Exclusive Capsule Collection Embodies Chic Riviera Style

The New York-based brand Carolina Herrera has always been the epitome of Park Avenue polish, as fantastical ball gowns and sweeping skirts are integral to its design DNA. This summer, creative director Wes Gordon is inviting us on a glamorous adventure, with a sun-drenched capsule collection inspired by long, romantic summers on the Italian Riviera.

Wes Gordon aimed to evoke the elegant ease of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Marge in The Talented Mr Ripley, who travels the coast of Italy in the late 1950s in Herrera-coded looks, including white shirts, silk scarves and A-line silhouettes. Outfits that still continue to dominate summer mood boards 25 years after the film was released. Carolina Herrera’s collections are typically an ode to joy, with colorful, beautiful clothes designed for celebrations – pieces that you can instantly imagine wearing to enjoy leisurely alfresco lunches, romantic sunset sailings and intimate candlelit dinners.

Princess Olympia of Greece has spent many a summer exploring the Mediterranean, so was the perfect person to showcase this sun-ready capsule. “I think heritage is really important in a brand, and Wes has really worked with that – with his strong use of color and the energy he brings to each creation,” explains Olympia, the only daughter of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece. “Carolina Herrera always delivers timeless, regal elegance.”

Carolina Herrera has always been a colorful brand and, since taking the helm in 2018, Gordon has continued this commitment to uplifting palettes and joyful prints. Last year, he celebrated the vibrant history of the house with a Rizzoli book entitled Colormania, which has painterly imagery documenting the brand’s colorful legacy. Carolina Herrera herself, who retired in 2018, has expressed that her favorite color is yellow – so it’s no coincidence that a sunflower shade is central to this collection, along with bright white, a shell pink and persimmon orange.

Each piece is designed to be packable and practical for summer getaways, with looks that can take you from leisurely afternoon lunches on the coast to glamorous evening soirées. “I loved the prints and textures used for this collection, and that I can wear all the pieces in very different ways – even from day to night – by just adding an earring or a bit of lipstick,” adds Olympia. Her favorite look, however, is the yellow floral maxi dress, which has cascading ruffles and falls beautifully off the shoulder. While the striped gown with a drop-hem skirt, fitted ruched bodice and corsage at the chest, would be a show-stopping choice for a destination wedding or significant celebration. She adds that these dresses instantly make you feel “elegant and powerful”, thanks to the “use of bold colors and complementing silhouettes.”

Accessories are hard-working additions to any suitcase, and this capsule has thoughtful finishing touches that will help you perfect the Mediterranean aesthetic. In the Carolina Herrera world, even a simple summer look can benefit from some vintage-inspired glamour, whether that’s with spectacular jewelry or an elegant straw hat. The white cotton eyelet crop top and matching skirt, for example, pairs beautifully with the wide-brim straw hat (which has a black grosgrain trim and ribbon), yellow-toned gold floral earrings and matching necklace.

For Princess Olympia, dressing for summer events in a regal fashion is all about balance. “I either wear a statement dress with very minimal makeup and almost no jewelry, or I love to wear something quite simple paired with a statement piece of jewelry or bold lipstick,” she explains. It’s a styling mantra that perfectly encapsulates the ease and glamour of this evocative capsule collection.

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