"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"
Spoken without a stitch of ego, the statement reveals a great deal about Carolina Herrera who was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1939.She is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who founded her eponymous company in 1980 with great success. Carolina was born and brought up in venezuela's most prominent families. Herrera's mother and grandmother were fashionable women who regularly traveled to Paris to have their clothes made at the great design houses of Balenciaga and Lanvin. At the age of 13, Carolina was taken to Paris to see a Balenciaga fashion show an event that she considers significant in her life which changed her outlook towards clothes.

From that moment Carolina started her journey as a fine courture and involved herself in the total dressmaking process, working with the dressmaker or designer on choice of style, fabric, and fit. She started appearing regularly on the International Best Dressed lists. Her sense of style and taste won many awards and appreciation from friends who became her clients. In 1981 she opened her first line of collection of twenty dresses which was shown at New York's Metropolitan Club in April 1981. She was one of the first designers to use padded shoulders, believing that broader shoulders made a woman's waist appear smaller and she loved elaborate sleeves as well.

In 1986 she designed the wedding dress for Caroline Kennedy which made her a household name overnight across North America and the ultra-feminine gown was quickly imitated. Her fur collection was launched in 1984 and her bridal wear, a lower-priced line was named CH. She also designed for Jacqueline Onassis for the last twelve years of her life. Jackie changed her look with Carolina's elegant luxury clothing. In 1988 Herrera expanded her business with the launch of her first fragrance, Carolina Herrera, a heady and romantic blend of the tuberose and jasmine essences that bloomed outside her bedroom in Caracas when she was a teenager. Carolina Herrera for Men, a men's fragrance was introduced in 1991. In 1994, Herrera presented her third scent-the floral Flore. Aqua Flore, its lighter corresponding fragrance debuted in 1996.

Carolina gets inspiration for her designs from everyday life by looking around at women. She never designed clothes to please the press but designed clothes to cater the needs of her customers. Presently there are 2 "Carolina Herrera, New York" boutiques in the world. A lifestyle brand called CH Carolina Herrera was launched in 2005. She also extended her cosmetics line in Spain, the Middle East and England. She also heads a successful accessories collection featuring beautifully detailed, cut-velvet and silk block print scarves. A line of hand bags as chic as an artificial croc shoulder bag and as playful as a mini velvet box.

Carolina Herrera's collection reveals sleek, chic and glamorous look. Her evening dress and gowns are more in satin, sweeping ball skirts paired with crisp white cotton shirts and broadtail cocktail dresses. Her famous clients include Renee Zellweger, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Salma Hayek. As the elaborately overdressed mood of the 1980s gave way to new styles in the next decade, Herrera's designs continue to maintain a pious clientele and attract new wearers.