Carolina Herrera is in a Madrid state of mind.

Walk down Calle Alcalá in the Spanish capital right now, and you can’t miss model Vittoria Ceretti staring out from a monumental billboard for the brand’s new fragrance, La Bomba.

It turns out the giant ads dotted across town were a teaser for an even bigger statement: on Thursday night, when Herrera took over Plaza Mayor, one of the city’s top tourist attractions, to showcase its spring 2026 collection during Madrid Fashion Week. 

Crowds gathered as guests including singer Becky G and actresses Lucy Hale, Sofia Carson and Alisha Boe arrived on a pale pink-covered runway. Karolina Kurkova delighted photographers by swishing the cape back of her minidress. 

Patrons at local bar La Torre del Oro literally had a front row seat to the sunset show, taking in the action while munching on tapas. 

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Gigi Goode showed up in a neon yellow puffball dress with big black polka dots. “I like to stand out from far away. You know, if a helicopter is flying by, I want to be the first thing that they zoom in on,” she quipped.

Hale picked a sultry scarlett bustier dress. The “F*** Marry Kill” star had no doubts about which category she would file it under: “This is definitely a ‘bleep’ dress, I would say.”

It was the first time the quintessentially New York brand showed its main line outside of its hometown, and only the third runway presentation overseas in Herrera’s 44-year history, following cruise shows in Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro.

Creative director Wes Gordon rose to the occasion with 77 looks drenched in color, drama and bold floral motifs, sent out to a feelgood soundtrack of ‘80s Spanish pop. 

“Everything had to be big: big ideas, big sleeves, big shoulders, big trains, big colors to suit the space,” the designer said in a preview.

Gordon comes to Madrid often, since Herrera’s parent company, Puig, is Spanish. Though the house’s founder was born in Venezuela, Madrid is home to her daughter Carolina Herrera Jr., who directs the brand’s fragrance line.

“Culturally, I find it to be at the epicenter of so many conversations right now. Everyone is either rediscovering or discovering Madrid. Everyone’s in love with Madrid right now,” Gordon enthused.

When in town, museums are a priority. “I will never come to Madrid and not go to the Prado,” he said. 

That filtered through into his creations, which channeled both the grandeur of the city’s 17th-century heyday and the irreverent spirit of La Movida, the cultural movement — born in the late ‘70s after the death of dictator Francisco Franco — encapsulated in the films of Pedro Almodóvar. (The director sat front row next to Bibi Andersen, one of his early muses.) 

Gordon’s opening look was a showstopper: a dramatic black gown with a long train, perfect for sweeping past the bronze statue of King Philip III on horseback in the center of the square. Infanta dresses with exaggerated hip constructions brought to mind the paintings of Velázquez or El Greco, which he had pinned to his mood board this season.

“In many ways, I wanted some of these looks to appear as if she walked right out of a painting in the Prado and onto the streets,” Gordon said.

What followed was an ode to the city, with outfits peppered with references to local culture. There were matador jackets sparkling with black jet beads, fan-shaped handbags, and chic black capes courtesy of local heritage brand Casa Seseña. But the stars of the show were the floral motifs. 

Gordon homed in on three flowers with special significance: the rose, in honor of Madrid’s Rosaleda garden; the carnation, traditionally worn during the festival of San Isidro, the patron saint of the city, and violets, in a nod to the violet-flavored candies that were gifted to guests.

A gold carnation motif was woven into a jacquard dress in a striking shade of marigold yellow, which echoed the Herrera gown that First Lady Melania Trump wore earlier this week to a state banquet hosted by Britain’s King Charles III for U.S. President Donald Trump.

It’s become one of Gordon’s signature hues, alongside lilac and the label’s signature bright red. He combined all three on an eye-popping off-the-shoulder ballgown worn by veteran Spanish model Esther Cañadas. “She’s a spirit. It’s a woman who likes to be remembered when she gets dressed, and who isn’t a wallflower,” he said.

Fabric violets made from six different layers of fabric were painstakingly layered on a lilac bubble dress, while bustiers came in cage constructions outlined in crystals, mirroring the square’s cobblestone motif. It was also echoed in plaid patterns, which featured on looks like a kitschy cute halter neck dress that could have been plucked straight off an Almodóvar heroine. 

Gordon shared his platform with local talents like ’80s legend Sybilla, who contributed three of her signature cutout dresses, and Alejandro Gómez Palomo, tasked with reinventing the classic white Herrera shirt. 

The brand’s decision to skip town may have robbed New York Fashion Week of one of its heavyhitters, but it turned out to be a smart move. In a season of cool minimalism verging on sameness, Herrera’s brand of exuberant glamor might have stood out like a sore thumb. On a balmy night on the other side of the Atlantic, it felt like a perfect match.