Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera (born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño, January 8, 1939, Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer who founded her namesake brand in 1980. Encouraged by Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland, Herrera debuted her first collection at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Club in April 1981 — the first time the venue permitted a fashion show within its walls — with supermodel Iman on the runway. The show earned immediate critical acclaim from Women’s Wear Daily and Tatler.

Herrera has designed for First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. Her brand was acquired by Puig in 1995, with Herrera retained as creative director. She expanded with the CH diffusion line (1986), a fragrance deal with Puig (1987), a bridal range (1988), and a Madison Avenue flagship (2000). The CFDA honored her with the Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2004 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. She also received Spain’s Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos I in 2002. Herrera presents her ready-to-wear collection semi-annually at NYFW and is a CFDA member.

For more details about upcoming NYFW shows, click here.