Carolina Herrera

Biography

Carolina Herrera (born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño; 8 January 1939) is a Venezuelan fashion designer known for her style, and for dressing various First Ladies of the United States, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.

In 1965, Herrera began her career working as a publicist for Emilio Pucci, a Florentine Marquis himself and a close family friend. She began working at Pucci's Caracas boutique and moved to New York in 1980.

Frequently associating with Mick and Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol, at Studio 54, she became well known for her dramatic style. She first appeared on the International Best Dressed List in 1972, then was elected to its Hall of Fame in 1980.

From 1994 to 1996, Herrera had a licensed leather goods and scarf line with Swoboda International. The line was subsequently produced in-house.

For the design, production, and global distribution of sunglasses and optical frames, Carolina Herrera has been working with licensing partners Indo (1997), De Rigo Vision (2011–2021), and Safilo (since 2022).

Since 2004, Herrera has been a member of the board of directors of jewelry designer Mimi So, and since 1999 on the board of the CFDA.