"When I started, I didn't make the connection between the designing and the business. I had a fantasy vision of this career. It was, 'Oh, a designer! How glamorous! This is divine!' I had no idea I would be at the office the whole day. I thought I would design a collection and then go home."

"I love the idea of elegance and intricacy, but whether it is in a piece of clothing or a fragrance, the intricacy must appear as simplicity. I think that standard has served me well; women seem to love my clothes. I am extremely grateful for the success that they have given me."

Carolina Herrera was born in Caracas, Venezuela to a family of landowners and statesmen. From an early age, her mother was strict "but not in a loud way. There was a time and a place for everything. I have carried this idea with me all my life." Herrera's mother was devoted to fashion, as was her grandmother, and as a youngster Herrera traveled regularly with them when they went to Paris to have their clothes made at the ateliers of the great couturiers of the era, such as the House of Lanvin, Cristobal Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent. Herrera was married twice, both marriages resulting in two girls each. Once Herrera's line became a success, her daughter, Carolina, Jr., came on board to help design clothes and later perfumes and cologne for men and women.

Because Herrera was exposed to haute catoure cloths and glamour, at a young age, she started a love affair with fashion and design. When she received positive reactions to a test line that she created, she decided to move forward in her endeavor as a fashion designer; in 1981, she moved her family to New York City to start her business, Carolina Herrera Ltd. Almost immediately, her designs were sought by specialty stores and chic women all over the city. Herrera has dressed many a celebrity, ranging from Jackie Kennedy Onassis, in the last twelve years of her life, Nicole Kidman, Shakira, Salma Hayek, and Renee Zellweger. Her business, however, was still relatively unknown, until in 1986, Herrera designed Caroline Kennedy's wedding dress; the dress was immediately copied by many a woman. Herrera later dressed Princess Diana and First Lady Nancy Reagon. By 1988, she debuted her first perfume for women, named simply, Carolina Herrera. She has since debuted seven scents total, for both men and women. She has also expanded to cosmetics and accessories, as well. Herrera also designs wedding gowns.

Herrera was looking forward to expansion into Europe as the first decade of the twenty-first century was underway. Her success was all the more impressive given the fact that Herrera maintains that somewhat languid Latin American tempo in which she was raised. She works only at the office, and keeps normal hours. "We don't work overtime in this company," she declared to Koski in the WWD interview. "If you can't do what you have to do between 9 and 5, something is wrong." Her upbeat attitude also endures. "I love what I'm doing," she enthused in the Town & Country interview. "If I had to stop, I would be very upset. The more I do it, the more I love it. Even with all the complications. Even with all the problems. Those don't matter. If I had to do it again, I would do it from the beginning in the very same way."

Read more: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/3641/Herrera-Carolina-1939-Fashion-Designer-Expanded-Business-in-New-Directions.html#ixzz0U3cQfTWb

In 2008, Carolina Herrera launched a lifestyle brand called CH Carolina Herrera. In that year, the company opened four stores at The Galleria in Houston, Texas, Americana Manhasset, in Manhasset, New York The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, Nevada, and The Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables, Florida.

Herrera remains a powerful stronghold in the world of fashion and has yet to retire. She has help from her daughter Carolina, Jr., and continues to grow her empire.

"With my clothing and fragrances, I believe that it is best to be realistic, but to always mix a bit of fantasy with reality. It's the same with life, really."

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