Wes Gordon has been back on the road, meeting clients and showing off his spring collection for Carolina Herrera. He said it’s his favorite part of the job, second only to fitting the clothes to start with. “Our customer is looking for pieces that celebrate the moment. She wants the wow from Herrera—to live in the moment, to get dressed.”

With that in mind, Gordon kept this collection characteristically upbeat, injecting it with a really playful streak. To start, there were nods to Mrs. Herrera: a blouse, jacket, and coat dress, all with the sort of dramatic full sleeves she favored. A fitted white shirt and fuchsia silk moiré ball skirt had her name all over it, too. She specialized in a sort of practical grandeur. Gordon’s reinterpretation, which followed a few looks later, combined a snug black cardigan with black cigarette pants topped by a split-front ball skirt. Meghan Markle watchers will recall a red number Gordon made for her late last year along similar lines.

Some looks drifted off message: The Fauvist florals had exuberance but not gravitas, and a plunge-front, jet-bead-embroidered jumpsuit leaned towards excessive raciness. But the best pieces had the wow factor that Gordon says the Herrera woman is craving. At the end of the show, he brought out the patternmakers Miro Hermes and François Bouchet, who are retiring after 22 years and 19 years at the label, respectively. A lovely gesture.