Wes Gordon announced that the promenade of the David H. Koch Theater held exactly 28,798 yellow tulips for Carolina Herrera's 45th anniversary show. His young children, Henry and Georgia, each picked one when they came to rehearsal, which is the most charming reason for a number I have ever heard.

That warmth ran through the whole collection. Gordon was not even born when Herrera started her brand in 1981, yet he took over eight years ago, and the label is now one of American fashion's rare success stories in handing down a house. It dresses mothers, daughters and sometimes granddaughters.

The show opened on black-and-white polka dots and closed on a diaphanous black gown with a ruffled neckline, which Gordon called "very Nan Kempner." Polka dots appeared in just a handful of looks, but they set the tone, and the dresses are where I would start.

Herrera's crisp white shirt got a few new lives. One went into a cummerbund, over cigarette pants, beside a sheer ball skirt. Another was stretched out into shirtdresses that hugged the hips. I love a house that knows its best idea and keeps finding new places for it.

Gordon also looked to the pop culture of the brand's early days. With the Warhol Foundation, he made a shift dress that reproduced Andy Warhol's silkscreen portrait of Mrs. Herrera. With The New Yorker, he made an organza tee and a dress beaded with the cover design from the week her first show happened.

So a top is never just a top here. I picture a silk top or a soft sweater with a little sparkle, worn with a pair of trousers. Belts showed up in about a quarter of the looks, which tells me waists matter as much as ever.

My favorite detail is small. The gold frog brooches nod to Herrera's favorite restaurant, La Grenouille. That kind of private joke is exactly what makes jewelry feel personal and not decorative.

Florals appeared in about one in five looks, which makes a floral brooch or a pair of clip-on earrings feel right at home in this world. Sunglasses showed up in a handful of looks too, and they are part of the story of the woman Gordon had in mind.

He described her as hailing a cab on Park Avenue, in a silk twill headscarf, oversized shades and a collarless trench. I can see her entirely, and I think her accessories are doing most of the work.

Bags appeared in nearly half the looks, so the show clearly believes you should arrive with something in hand. It also believes in the uptown idea, and with Oscar de la Renta skipping the New York calendar, Carolina Herrera alone can really claim that rarefied territory.

Backstage, Gordon felt reflective. He talked about the struggle of building a name in this business, and how male it was in 1981 when Mrs. Herrera started as a mother of four. His closing words were "I hope she feels proud."

I think she must. I would wear the polka dots by day, the gown at night, and the brooch both times.