Sarapes, tenangos, and cempasuchil at Carolina Herrera's latest collection

Wes Gordo

n, the new creative director at Carolina Herrera , presented the Resort 2020 collection , which was inspired by Gordon's trip to Mexico City .

The Resort 2020 collection is comprised of dresses, skirts, jackets, and coats in vibrant colors . For example, a dress resembles a typical Mexican sarape ; many pieces use the orange-yellow color that characterizes cempasuchil , a flower used during The Day of the Dead ; Gordon also used typical Mexican embroideries , especially from Oaxaca , for this collection, as well as tenangos , which are fantastical creatures embroidered into clothes by Indigenous communities in Mexico .

Also, there are no women of color in the Carolina Herrera lookbook and many users criticized the brand for its lack of diversity .

Nevertheless, the collection caused controversy in Mexico , as many social media users accused the brand of cultural appropriation and claimed Gordon and Carolina Herrera plagiarized Mexican culture , as the tenangos , flower embroideries , and the sarape colors used by the brand are identical to the ones created by Mexican artisans , who often struggle to make a living by selling their crafts.

Moreover, Carolina Herrera hasn't shared images of the collection on its social media accounts and the brands' website doesn't state whether or not Mexican artisans were involved in the making of the collection , therefore, it is unknown if Wes Gordon collaborated with Mexican designers and embroiderers for the collection.

Mexican artisans win battle against Liverpool and Nestlé

gm