Carolina Herrera has landed in South Florida.
The New York-based house has opened its third freestanding store in Palm Beach, located on the Esplanade complex of stores on Worth Avenue. The brand has two other locations in the U.S. — the flagship store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan and another unit in Dallas.
“Since the company was founded in 1981, Herrera has always had amazing clientele in Palm Beach. But this is our first time having our own store here, and it’s super exciting. For me there were a lot of great options in Palm Beach but Worth Avenue was it, and I just felt that was really important that we were on Worth; there’s something so romantic about strolling down the avenue and the stores,” said Wes Gordon, creative director of Carolina Herrera.
The new outpost consists of a 2,200-square-foot corner location that will offer the brand’s luxury women’s ready-to-wear collection, as well as beauty and accessories including handbags, shoes and jewelry.
The store takes cues from Gordon’s renovated flagship on Madison Avenue, such as pink subtle blush Venetian plaster walls and rounded shapes and curved edges on everything from seating to fixtures and wall transitions, reinforced by bold columns finished in a textured limestone with a bit more grit to give it a beach feeling. The store was designed and developed in partnership with architect Mao Hughes and interior designer David Lucido.
Carolina Herrera and Wes Gordon
Annie Watts Photography
The open-floor format is both subtle and visual, as shoppers entering are greeted by two expansive windows that hug the entrance, adorned with the signature graphic black-and-white limestone hexagonal floor inspired by the Roman apartment of artist Cy Twombly; plaster rope columns that are handmade as display pedestals; the addition of rope trims to pink couches that are located in the center of the store, and little touches, such as the whitewashed woods with rattan detailing to add an element of Florida. Vintage pieces from the main store chandelier and Crespi lamps on the store marble tables enrich the feeling of a younger generation.
“To me, what’s so special about each location are our customers that we have, such amazing women and friends at each location and to me it really feels like a gathering point for a group of friends in the city. And I’m excited to kind of see how this store evolves, and the women who gravitate here and spend their days hanging out in here. And, you know, it’s our latest store, so I always, for me, it’s like the newest iteration of our ideas and concepts,” Gordon added.
Other elements include dramatic archways framing dark brushed bronze hanging rails, the signature Herrera red facade detail with scalloped panels, a makeup and fragrance corner, customized soft seating for the spacious fitting rooms, marble furniture pieces and rug work with twisted rope details as a nod to the proximity to the ocean, which is just steps away from the location.