With Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon’s Modern Elegance Reigns on the Red Carpet

A modern interpretation of classic elegance is what has guided Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon to new heights on the Hollywood red carpet, where the carefully calibrated drama and color that are trademarks of his runway collections have made an outsize mark.

In the past three months alone the designer has seen his creations on several of the 2025 Golden Globes nominees including Cynthia Erivo, Selena Gomez and Demi Moore. It’s no wonder; the rich tapestry of film — and film stars — has had his attention since he was young.

Growing up in the 1990s in Atlanta, outside a global fashion capital, Gordon couldn’t wait to see what came down the red carpets on TV. “Now with social media, a kid who is interested in fashion can have access to it anywhere in the world. But then…we had few opportunities to really see fashion, and the awards red carpets were definitely one of them,” he said, clocking as formative moments Julia Roberts in black-and-white vintage Valentino at the 2001 Oscars; Renee Zellweger routinely choosing Herrera for her gowns in the early 2000s, and Cate Blanchett’s adventurous looks. Movies, too, helped shape his world, including “Being There,” “The Great Gatsby” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.” “I think they’re very elegant films,” he said of their glossy on-screen style and cinematography.

The first look Gordon designed that landed on the red carpet? A Swarovski crystal-embroidered dress from his namesake label that was worn by Anne Hathaway for the London premiere of “Interstellar” in 2014. Then, in his early days consulting for Herrera, a dress went to Sarah Paulson. “In both cases, they happened as a result not of something being created with the intention of it going to the red carpet, but rather a piece of clothing that I’d made for the collection, that then was discovered and loved by a celebrity enough to be worn,” he said.

Working on custom pieces adds a dimension of excitement, awakening another side of his creative mind. “It’s really working together,” he said of his process. “It takes you to a destination that you wouldn’t have arrived at on your own. That’s the beauty of a collaboration, is that your co-collaborator gets you somewhere different.”

It’s a challenge that Gordon thoroughly enjoys.  “Doing things for Beyoncé on tour or Shakira for the Met Gala….anyone who’s involved in dance or movement, they have the most incredible awareness of their body, of just what a millimeter of movement can do. And those are the collaborations, which are challenging, but also where I learned the most. Because it’s not just about them looking good, they have a job to do,” he said.

Carolina Herrera had a major presence at the 2024 Academy Museum in Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Gala with six actresses choosing the brand.  “I’m proud of one, but when there are multiple people there representing the collection, it’s super exciting. The thing that I think a lot of people fail to realize is that for designers, it’s often a surprise, too. Right up until five minutes before she walks out the door you really just don’t know. So, it always feels like you’re winning a lottery when it does happen. And so, to have it happen six times in one night is just so exciting.”

The impact for a brand when these once-in-a-lifetime moments echo out into social media is massive. “It’s a different audience than the audience that’s exclusively looking at our runway shows, ” he said. “It’s global culture, something that’s seen by everyone.”

Awards-show fever aside, recently designers have upped their own celebrity, signing with talent agencies and shaping films as costume designers. “I think of great costume designers like Anne Roth…or designers collaborating on films like Ralph Lauren did for ‘The Great Gatsby,’ and Armani did for ‘American Gigolo,’” he said. “So much of my perception of those brands came from the visual storytelling in those films. So, as a designer, I would love that challenge and that opportunity.”

Gordon is still mapping out his Golden Globes weekend but he has many conversations about who he’ll be dressing brewing. “I always love going to L.A. and I think it’s been a fabulous year for Hollywood. I’m super excited.”

Here, Gordon breaks down some of his recent winning moments on the red carpet: