She was born in Venezuela in 1939, her full name is Maria Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Nino. She travelled often to Europe in her childhood and attended her first couture show at Balenciaga when she was 13, along with her fashionable grandmother.

After years on the US list of best-dressed women, Herrera created her first ready-to-wear collection in 1981. A New York based designer, she produced a collection of layered clothes which used a variety of fabrics in different length. She holds her fashion shows in Manhattan's Plaza Hotel.

She launched her fur collection in 1984 and her CH Collection (a more affordable line) in 1986. Her bridal line was launched in 1987, after she designed Caroline Kennedy's wedding gown. Her perfume lines followed in 1988.

Herrera is also known because she designed the wardrobe for Jackie Kennedy Onassis for the last ten years of her life. Jackie had changed her look from her early days as wife of the US president and loved Carolina's elegant luxury clothing.

Carolina Herrera takes her inspiration from many sources. In 1997, her collection was in homage to Carmen Miranda, the colourful film star of the 40's. She used ruffles, platform shoes, feathers. She also used the film on the life of Eva Peron, "Evita", as inspiration to send her girls down the catwalk in ruffled skirts and printed chiffon, silk suits, with their hair tied back in blond chignons.

Working with an increasingly slimmer silhouette, she has become known for elegant daywear and evening wear. She has already brought out her Bridal collection for Spring 2003.

The Barcelona, Spain, based company Puig Beauty and Fashion, is the majority shareholder in the Herrera house as well as the company's fragrance licensee. They have been successful in financing the house, as in the past 5 years the brand's worldwide retail sales have doubled to $400 million.

Spring/Summer 2003

Carolina showed her Spring/Summer 2003 collection at the New York Fashion Week in September 2002, which was greeted with aclaim. This dress is from that collection.

Autumn/Winter 2003 Ready-to-Wear
New York - February 2003

The outfit on the right is one from the Autumn/Winter collection.

Carolyn Herrera sent out a coolly appealing collection of subtly seductive elegance. Herrera's satins were some of the most beautiful of the season, fluid blouses and skirts in richly pigmented blues, burgundy, grey and creamy white. Her slim pencil skirts and tailored trousers wre topped with buttery light Persian lamb coats and jackets. Elegantly tailored suits had a body hugging cut and soft colours. Her evening looks included bouncy ball skirts edged in feathers.

Oscar Night 2003

For Oscar night 2003, in March, Renee Zellweger wore Carolyn Herrera's gown of embroidered red chiffon, shown on the left. On the right is Salma Hayek who wore another lovely Herrera outfit, a black embroidered blouse and white ball skirt.

Spring/Summer 2004

A new French designer Herve Pierre Braillard (born 1965) designed Carolina Herrera's collection for this season. He was earlier with Pierre Balmain, Vera Wang and Bill Blass. The Spring/Summer 2004 collection was shown during New York Fashion Week in September 2003. A dress from the show is shown here on the left.

The show included lots of airy little black, white and yellow dresses with super-sexy hip-belts. They added flounced skirts or timeless wide-leg trousers twinned with vest tops. Gossamer chiffon dresses went back to the days of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

Fall/Winter 2004

The Fall collection was shown during New York Fashion Week in February 2004. The show had an infectious charm. Her design team included Frenchman Herve Pierre as well as her daughter Patricia Lansing.

Her evening dresses were show-stoppers with fox-fur stoles and crocheted cashmere with scattered bugle beads. Cashmere and alpaca, bulky knits and warm wintry soft leathers with lavishly embellished with fur trimmings.

Oscar Night February 2004

Renee Zellweger, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Cold Mountain" wore the Carolyn Herrera gown shown on the left, on the Oscar Awards Night in February 2004.

CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year

In June 2004 at the Annual CFDA Awards night, Carolina Herrera won the Womenswear Designer of the Year award which was richly deserved.

Also in June, her daughter Carolina Jr. married Spanish bullfighter Miguel Baez.

Spring/Summer 2005

During New York Fashion Week in September 2004, Carolina Herrera presented her Spring collection. A dress from the show is pictured on the right.

Spring is Herrera's season and her signature blend of sensuousness and sophistication was evident in every garment. A lovely lace dress was fastened up the back with tiny pearl buttons, and gleaming jewels adorned straps and belts on many dresses. She combines wearability with practical and most of all beautiful.

Fall/Winter 2005

The Herrera Fall/Winter collection was shown during New York Fashion Week in February 2005. She always shows a chic collection which is never flashy. This season saw tweed hunting suts, beautiful silk abstract printed day dresses, clothes with a forties feel to them, and exquisitely constructed evening gowns.

Oscar Night
February 27th 2005

Carolina Herrerra is always called on for red-carpet occasions and the Oscars were no exception. Here on the right is previous Oscar winner Renee Zellweger in one of her beautiful red gowns.

Renee Zellweger's surprise wedding

On May 9th, Oscar winning actress Renee Zellweger surprised everyone by getting married to country singer Kenny Chesney. But Carolina Herrera was in on the secret, because she made the dress which Renee wore, shown here on the left.

Ready-to-Wear
Spring/Summer 2006
New York

Carolina presented her Spring/Summer 2006 collection during New York Fashion Week in September 2005. A beautiful dress from the collection is shown on the right, a powder-blue gown with a beautiful hand-painted floral panel on the skirt. Her evening gowns were fitted to the knee and then flared out to the hemline.

For daywear, she teamed leg-elongating trousers with tiny knit sweaters and pencil skirts with short-sleeved tops. This was a collection that combined glamour and grace.

click below:

Carolina Herrera: Portrait
Of A Fashion Icon by
Hamish Bowles and Alexandra Kotur

Carolina Herrera:
International Fashion Designer,
by Janet Riehecky