NEW YORK, USA - Carolina Herrera, one of the most storied names in New York fashion feted for timeless elegance, made waves on the catwalk Monday with a fall/winter collection inspired by water.

"Vogue" editor-in-chief Anna Wintour arrived backstage before the show, dressed in a black leather and red fur coat, for a quick embrace and to be given a personal look at some of the clothes by Herrera.

Actress Dianna Agron and socialite Olivia Palermo were guests of honor, and also sitting in the front row was Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald and a businesswoman with her own jewelry, fragrance and footwear company.

American supermodel Karlie Kloss opened and closed the show, which presented grays, blues and whites -- broken up with just a splash of red -- of suits for ladies who lunch, as well as cocktail and evening dresses.

"I call this collection making waves. It's all about the elements of water," the Venezuelan-born designer told AFP, kicking off day five of New York Fashion Week.

Wintour sat in the front row, stifling frequent yawns in what despite near record cold temperatures in New York was a packed house.

As with British former pop star turned designer Victoria Beckham on Sunday, Herrera used "bounce" to characterize her fluid skirts.

"They (the clothes) move in a fantastic way and it's a young collection," she told AFP. But she broke with catwalk rules by kitting her models out in flat shoes and foots, rather than towering stilettos.

"It's very unusual but you will see that they work!" she laughed.

Hemlines bounced, skirts on evening dresses billowed, wave-patterns were picked out in different fabrics and gauze floated like air.

After more than 30 years in the business, Herrera known for her lady-like clothes, says the secret of longevity is to look to the future.

Herrera showed her first collection in 1981, and became a favorite of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She is today beloved by celebrities looking for elegance on the red carpet.

"You have to be in the future, you cannot go to the past and copy collections of the past," she said.