Carolina Herrera bio and all you need to know about her

Carolina Herrera

Who Is Carolina Herrera?

Fashion designer Carolina Herrera was raised in Venezuela and launched her fashion company in New York City. She became a U.S. citizen in 2009. Despite lacking formal training before her first runway show in 1981, Herrera found success in women’s and men’s fashion, fragrances, and more. Her company now boasts stores worldwide and generates billions in sales. Her signature style includes well-tailored white blouses, often paired with ballgown skirts.

Early Life

Carolina Herrera was born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 8, 1939. She enjoyed a privileged childhood as one of four daughters born to Guillermo Pacanins, an air force officer, governor of Caracas, and Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and María Cristina Niño. Herrera was taught English and French by a governess and spent her youth engaged in activities like tennis, riding, and ballet. She was more interested in these pastimes than in fashion during her early years.

However, fashion had a presence in her life. At 13, her grandmother took her to a Balenciaga runway show. At around 14 or 15, she designed a black dress inspired by 1930s and ’40s movies, though her parents didn’t let her wear it.

Marriages and Children

At 18, Herrera married Guillermo Behrens-Tello, with whom she had two daughters, Mercedes and Ana Luisa, before they divorced when she was 24. In 1968, she married Don Reinaldo Herrera Guevara, and they had two more daughters, Patricia and Carolina.

International Figure

Herrera’s second husband inherited the title of Marquis of Torre Casa but didn’t use it. He worked as a journalist and led a jet-set lifestyle with Herrera. They mingled with the elite, visiting Princess Margaret in England, attending Costume Institute galas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and spending time in the South of France and Paris. In 1976, Herrera met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and became one of his subjects. She frequently appeared on best-dressed lists.

One of her favorite places was New York City, where she enjoyed Studio 54. During one outing, Andy Warhol offered to create a silkscreen portrait of her in exchange for a bejeweled clutch she was carrying. “That was so much fun, New York in the Seventies,” Herrera recalled in a 2016 interview, describing the city’s vibrant, creative atmosphere.

Launch of Herrera’s Fashion Career

In 1980, Herrera and her husband settled in New York. Initially, she considered designing fabrics, but her friend Diana Vreeland, then Vogue’s editor, encouraged her to create a collection of dresses instead. Despite having no formal design training or significant work experience—her only job had been a short stint at Pucci in Caracas in the 1960s—Herrera had a keen sense of style and valuable connections. Armando de Armas, a successful magazine publisher, offered to back her venture, and designer Bill Blass gave her runway tips.

Herrera’s first fashion show took place at New York’s Metropolitan Club in 1981. She initially thought she would only do one collection, but received orders from major stores like Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Although some in the press were skeptical, considering her a dilettante, her designs quickly gained a devoted following. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was an early fan and regular client, commissioning Herrera to design both her dress and her daughter Caroline’s wedding dress in 1986.

Becoming a Successful Global Brand

Herrera launched her first perfume in 1988, believing that fragrances help spread a designer’s name. In 1995, her company was acquired by the Spanish firm Puig, which had previously collaborated with her on perfumes. She remained the creative director. In 2008, the CH Carolina Herrera line debuted, offering more casual designs for everyday wear. Today, her brand includes menswear, womenswear, children’s wear, accessories, a home collection, and fragrances, available globally.

Herrera has always prioritized a balanced work schedule, stating in 1994 that one should accomplish their tasks during regular hours to avoid exhaustion. Her two younger daughters eventually joined her company: Patricia as a design team member and special projects manager, and Carolina as the creative director for fragrances. “It’s quite useful to have your children in the company,” Herrera said in 2013. “They tell you immediately if they don’t like something.”

In 2018, Herrera stepped down as creative director to become a global brand ambassador, with Wes Gordon taking over the creative director role with her endorsement.

Accomplishments

Herrera’s designs have been worn by numerous high-profile individuals, including Laura Bush, Renée Zellweger, Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu, and Taylor Swift. She also designed the wedding dress for the Twilight film Breaking Dawn – Part 1. The Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded her the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Quick Facts

Name: Carolina Herrera
Birth Year: 1939
Birth Date: January 8, 1939
Birth City: Caracas
Birth Country: Venezuela
Best Known For: Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan-American designer whose first fashion collection debuted in 1981, and she has since led her company to become a global brand.
Astrological Sign: Capricorn

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