TALES OF A LEGEND

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Carolina Herrera, which launched with full gusto and glamour all the way back in 1981. ELLE India revisits its key milestones that have made the brand iconic

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Carolina Herrera was born and raised in Venezuela, and, after gracefully gliding onto best-dressed lists upon moving to Manhattan, she started her own brand with little business experience but the highest of fashion ideals: to bring elegance, colour, and liveliness to women’s wardrobes. The DNA has remained the same since, from dressing first ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Michelle Obama, all the way through Wes Gordon taking the reins as creative director, after Herrera retired in 2018. From fragrance to fashion to beauty, the brand has become the epitome of an international powerhouse—here are the milestones that have defined its monumental history.

1981 – THE FIRST CAROLINA HERRERA FASHION SHOW

On the suggestion of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, Herrera, then an impeccably-dressed figure on the New York scene, launched her very own fashion brand in 1981. The first collection was about 20 looks—a healthy mix of silk and ruffles and big sleeves and Grecian gowns, modeled on the catwalk by no less than Iman—shown at the swanky Metropolitan Club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Carolina Herrera, the company, was an immediate success, in touch with a sense of modern glamour that was refreshing and relevant to a contemporary woman.

1988 – THE FIRST FRAGRANCE, CAROLINA HERRERA