Carolina Herrera, one of the most elegant and respected women in the fashion industry, celebrates her 87th birthday this Thursday, amidst success, recognition, and also the pain of losing her life partner.
María Carolina Josefina Pacanins Niño, given name of the renowned Venezuelan designer and businesswoman Carolina Herrera, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 8, 1939, becoming years later the founder of her own homonymous brand in 1980, one of the most prestigious fashion houses worldwide.
Born into a wealthy Venezuelan family, she was the third of four sisters, the result of the relationship between her parents: Aviation Colonel Guillermo Pacanins Acevedo, a military man, aviator and governor of Caracas between 1950 and 1958, and María Cristina Niño Passios (1912–1969).
Since the 1960s, she was closely linked to American high society, becoming a reference for parties and social gatherings. It was at the age of 42, after having had four daughters and two marriages, that she decided to enter the fashion industry professionally.
A Balenciaga fashion show she attended with her grandmother at the age of 13 changed all her plans, as it was there that she felt deeply drawn to design and tailoring.
In 1980, he presented his first fashion collection; in 1986, his first bridal creations, and in 1988, he launched his first perfume, for both women and men. A meteoric career with which he has earned the respect of the fashion world.
Throughout her admired career, Carolina has dressed the most important figures, including five First Ladies of the United States: Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.
According to ¡Hola! magazine, “Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis became her most loyal client and, although the critics were initially very harsh on Herrera, everyone finally surrendered to her creativity. For the nuptials of Caroline Kennedy in 1986, Herrera created both the mother of the bride’s dress and Caroline’s wedding dress, which featured clover applications.”
Other figures such as Nicole Kidman, Anna Wintour, Queen Letizia, Meghan Markle, Renée Zellweger, Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Oprah Winfrey, Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, Beyoncé, Salma Hayek, Shakira, Céline Dion, Taylor Swift, Sofía Vergara, Lady Gaga, among many others, join this extensive list.
Now a prestigious designer, Carolina decided to launch her first fragrance, Flore, which would later be followed by almost a hundred more. It was 1988 and, like everything she touched, it was a real success. In 1995, her company was acquired by the Spanish company Puig, with which she had already worked on several perfumes, although she continued to work as creative director.
In the world of perfumery, Carolina Herrera has been one of the great pillars, launching more than 60 fragrances throughout her career, including: Flore, Herrera For Men, Carolina, 212, Herrera Aqua For Men, 212 For Men, 212 Special Edition, Chic, 212 Sexy and 212 VIP, among others.
