Wes Gordon was keeping a close eye on the weather in Rio all throughout the week. In a first for the New York label, the designer for Carolina Herrera had moved his vacation show to the Brazilian beach town. “Herrera has such a strong connection to Latin America, and the idea of Rio just felt so mesmerising and captivating,” he said at a preview in the brand’s Seventh Avenue store the previous month. “Rio just felt so mesmerising and captivating,” he said. (Because the fragrance industry in Brazil is doing well, Rio was the perfect location for both the debut of a new fragrance and the celebration of its success.)

Even though there was a rainbow visible in the sky above the Santa Teresa area, where the concert was scheduled to take place, it eventually started to rain. The sun came out earlier in the day, but by nightfall the clouds had rolled in. However, regardless of the weather, the performance must go on, and after a considerable amount of time had passed, Caroline Trentini appeared on the rosy-coloured runway that was covered with puddles. Her ruffled floral off-the-shoulder dress was complemented with a polka dotted belt, and she paired it with matching shoes. Together, these elements created an appearance that was both seductive and sophisticated.

Gordon has never been one to shy away from a vibrant colour palette or extravagant patterns, but exhibiting in Rio provided him an opportunity to dive completely off the deep end. Yes, that was Isabeli Fontana wiggle-walking in an orange crochet tank top and matching skirt; yes, that was a mango-yellow gown with voluminous sleeves elaborately draped to resemble flowers, and its thigh-high slit was accented by an oversized bow.

There were athletic pieces in summer-light twill, as well as a fantastic short suit in a herringbone-patterned corded twill that looked like seersucker and was paired with a matching crop top. Another highlight was a floral mosaic design that was put on a flirtatious, a-line little dress that did not have any straps. “It was a strike-off that the mill sent to show me all of the different colours that they were proposing, but we loved the mix,” Gordon added. The calm vibe that he envisioned for the collection carried over into the way he went about creating it; for example, why not just make all of the hues at once?

I was struck by how perfectly the scene captured the essence of the Carolina Herrera woman as the models walked down the runway, some of them barefoot and carrying their shoes in their hands, with genuine smiles on their faces while it rained all around them. I was struck by how perfectly the scene captured the essence of the Carolina Herrera woman as someone who is elegant, but also strong, and ready to have a good time regardless of the elements.

Gordon, who was obviously moved after the performance, stated, “We realised the rain wasn’t going to let up,” after the act. “We said, ‘oh, we’ll shoot a video inside,’ but all of the girls insisted on walking.” He proceeded by mentioning that a good number of them were from Brazil and said that they could be heard singing songs, cheering, and clapping. The models were the reason why the presentation took place. It was the most emotionally draining experience I can possibly remember having.

The Collection