Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera was born Maria Carolina Josefina Pacanis y Nino in Caracas, Venezuela in 1939. She was considered one of the ten most elegant women in the world, and was nominated to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame. In 1981, Herrera launched her own line in New York and her fragrance line in 1988. Her goal was to create clothing that was feminine, elegant and most important comfortable.
She has expanded her business to include other lines. In 1986 the CH Collections line was introduced, which is a less expensive version of her high-fashion lines. In 1987 she opened a bridal line after designing Caroline Kennedy’s wedding gown. She launched her first women’s perfume in 1988 and a men’s perfume in 1991. Her clothes are about style and elegance which are achieved by her trademark of shoulders, sleeves, line, and construction. Carolina Herrera opened her first freestanding boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue in 2000.
The section dedicated to the Spanish designers of the Smithsonian National Museum at the Behring Center exhibits one of the dresses created by the designer. In 2004 she was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Women’s Designer of the Year Award. Carolina Herrera is owned by Barcelona-based beauty and fashion conglomerate Puig.
