For her last collection in February, the designer was inspired by a single piece of classical music. And for her spring 2014 collection, shown Monday at the Lincoln Center tents, it was art — kinetic art, to be specific, which basically means art that involves motion.
Herrera’s runway show is always one of the more sought-after tickets at Fashion Week, and this collection was no different, with guests including Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, the R&B singer Ne-Yo, “Mad Men” actress Christina Hendricks and “Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery among many celebrities in attendance.
The packed crowd was regaled with elegant, ethereal gowns featuring geometric motifs enhanced by the layering of fabrics, which gave them the appearance of constant movement.
“It’s the reaction of two layers — I find that this is totally kinetic,” Herrera said in a post-show interview, as well-wishers crushed around her. “It creates its own movement.”
Many of Herrera’s gowns and dresses featured patterns involving thin stripes, twisted into spirals or other shapes — on a flowing printed stripe organza gown, for example. There were lots of luxurious, embellished garments as well, as in a black silk dress with a tea-green silk crepe underlay, which followed another design in tea-green, a silk crepe gown with black mesh straps.
The final garment, modeled by Karlie Kloss, epitomized the collection: An ivory, black and pink gown in a “kinetic diamond dot” print, with a silk organza overlay. Translation: like an Op Art painting, but flowing along the runway.
The Venezuelan-born designer said that in thinking about her artistic inspiration, she examined the work of two compatriots: the Venezuelan kinetic and Op Art artists Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesus Rafael Soto. Now, she says, she will move on to finding her next muses.
“I finished this collection today,” she said, pragmatically. “On Monday I will start looking at materials for the next one.”
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