A Series: Iconic Women in Bridal | Carolina Herrera
A Series || Iconic Women in Bridal: Carolina Herrera
In honor of Women’s History Month we are bringing a new series to you, highlighting our female designers and what makes them special. Here at ALSW we have always been advocates of supporting other females, the incredible rolls we play in one another’s lives + believing that we are as strong as the women standing next us. During this series we will be shining a light on the vision, drive + passion our female designers have to better not only the bridal industry, yet what they did and continue to do to help the world around us.
xo Liz Kohler | Senior Marketing Coordinator
3/12/2021
CAROLINA HERRERA
Born in Venezuela in 1939, to a family of statesmen and landowners, Herrera had the privilege of being around fine art and fashion, giving her a natural appreciation for all things beautiful. Herrera would soon make a career out of this appreciation, and bring this love to women around the world. At the age of 13, Herrera attended a Balenciaga fashion show with her Grandmother, giving her a comfortable familiar foundation to build her brand upon. Herrera got her start as a publicist for fashion designer Emilio Pucci, to later create her own line in 1981. Prior to her arrival in NYC, Herrera and her husband Reinaldo Herrera Guevara were living the international lifestyle, befriending royals, and famous artists alike, so when it came time for her first runway show, the rows were filled with all the “who’s who” of the world.
STUDIO 54
The New York disco nightclub, compared to an adult amusement park now turned Broadway theater, fondly remembered as the first non-judgmental, “adult playground” where all were welcome, a spot where artistic free thinkers came together to celebrate life.
In the year 1979, the young fashion designer Carolina Herrera was making a splash at Studio 54 scene when her gold-mesh-and-diamond Van Cleef & Arpels bejeweled purse caught the eye of the famed Andy Warhol. Herrera recalls the encounter, “Andy took it and played with it all night long. When he returned it he said, ‘If you give it to me, I will give you your portrait in exchange.’ I said, ‘Take it, it’s yours.’ And that was that.”
Carolina Herrera 2016 Collection.
HERRERA HOUSE OF FASHION
Herrera’s first collection debuted at NYC fashion week in 1981 and instantly became an iconic brand. The catwalk was lined with artistic icons like Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso’s daughter Paloma, Diana Vreeland former editor of Vogue magazine + many more. Herrera’s debut was during a time of the great shift in NYC fashion. All major department stores picked up her line seeking something new and fresh to hit their shelves. Prior to Herrera’s arrival on the U.S. scene, fashion trends were set by the European couture houses. Come the 80’s the U.S. became a major player in the trend report. The new era of liberated women in the U.S. we’re seeking sense of contemporary informality, a certain ease of design, Herrera’s lines were exactly what they were looking for, from her casual designs to her ready to wear glam.
Carolina flawless design reached every facet of fashion, from chic timeless ready to wear styles, stunning bridal gowns, colorful couture evening gowns in the finest fabrications, accessories and even to her iconic Good Girl perfume with the famous high heeled bottle design.
“Fashion is to please your eye. Shapes and proportions are for your intellect.”
THE HERRERA BRIDE
Launched in 1987, contemporary yet classic, is the best way to describe this collection. A collection that flatters the feminine frame, delicate detailing, looks that work for every decade and all crafted in their NYC couture atelier.
“A wedding dress is both an intimate and personal for a woman - it must reflect the personality and style of the bride.” - Carolina Herrera
“Fashion has always been a repetition of ideas, but what makes it new is the way you put it together.”
THE NEW GENERATION OF HERRERA
In 2018 Herrera transitioned her couture fashion house to the watchful eye of the American fashion designer Wes Gordon, with a background with Oscar De La Renta and Tom Ford, and eventually his own brand, Gordon was no new comer to the Haute Couture customer and what his new title of Creative Director of Carolina Herrera embodies. Sharing the same honor as Herrera, dressing both first ladies and celebrities alike, Gordon has carried on the same level whimsy, playful colors and patterns that are synonymous with iconic Herrera. With sky blue being his favorite color, you will see this throughout his collections, but not without the classic Carolina Herrera yellow of course.
The name Carolina Herrera instantly evokes a sense of joy, a sense of desire, decades of good fashion that speaks to the core of a women, an uncontrollable need to have the garment in question. The desire for good fashion is such a primal desire, where want and need become synonymous with one another…. This IS Carolina Herrera.
Thumbnail Image: Nigel Perry