In 2018, Carolina Herrera made the strategic decision to implement a succession plan for her namesake brand. The creative director to take the helm was 31-year-old Wes Gordon, who was Chicago-born, raised in Atlanta, and educated at Central Saint Martins arts and design college in London.  

Gordon moved to New York City upon graduation and launched his own eponymous womenswear line in 2010—subsequently receiving the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award. In 2017, he began consulting with Carolina Herrera and was appointed creative director just one year later. 

Elegant, feminine, and bold, Gordon’s design ethos has remained throughout his illustrious career. At Carolina Herrera, he has maintained the brand’s hallmark feminine elegance while also expanding upon its interpretation. This direction has helped the brand see notable sales growth and reach an expanded customer base. He has also brought his design expertise to the Carolina Herrera eyewear collection, which is produced with Safilo. 

The Spring/Summer 2024 Carolina Herrera eyewear collection also exudes a feminine, joyful aesthetic. Key directions include fresh colorblocking, vintage silhouettes, sparkling floral designs studded with crystals, and The Bow sunglasses, which feature a refined crystal bow.

Here, Gordon sits down with EB to share the details on his vision for the brand’s eyewear collection plus Spring/Summer 2024’s standout fashion trends.

EB: What is your own personal philosophy on eyewear style?

Wes Gordon: Eyewear is such a fantastic way to complete any outfit. There’s a quality of mystery to it, and I love playing with shapes and patterns to bring a particular energy to what I’m wearing that day.

EB: What is the overarching style DNA for the Carolina Herrera eyewear and sunwear collections?

Gordon: Carolina Herrera eyewear and sunwear is designed for a confident woman who embraces her own beauty and the art of dressing up. The sunglasses and optical frames are an expression of the essence of the brand, celebrating femininity, fabulousness, and joyfulness.

EB: What is the current key style direction in fashion at CH for Spring/Summer 2024? 

Gordon: For SS24, I wanted to challenge the notion of simplicity. Silhouettes take on sharp, clean, confident lines, softened by romantic prints in pastel hues and feminine flor als. We see some of those details translated into the eyewear collection to complete this vision for Spring.

EB: How does the CH Spring 2024 eyewear collection tie into this overall fashion direction in terms of color, details, prints/patterns, and silhouettes?

Gordon: With the jumping-off point of the Spring collection being the perennial style icon, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the approach to eyewear followed this inspiration with its strong silhouettes and timeless approach to detail. Design elements that are prevalent in the ready-to-wear collection, such as the bow, are reinterpreted in the eyewear collection as well.

EB: What is your own eyewear style?

Gordon: I love to wear sunglasses when I’m on the go and traveling. The style always depends on the mood and occasion. 

EB: Does CH have exciting news for 2024?

Gordon: We recently opened our new boutique on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach—the store is a beautiful, colorful design befitting of its waterfront location. This marks the start of our expansionary phase as we look to open new outposts throughout the country.