Happy birthday, fashion designer Carolina Herrera

Posted by lmiller

on January 8, 2009M at 8:46 am

Carolina Herrera after her spring 2009 runway show in New York.

Fashion designer Carolina Herrera celebrates her 70th birthday today. She was born in Venezuela and founded her New York City company in 1980.

During the 1970s and ’80s, she was named one of the best-dressed women in the world. Some of the world’s best-dressed women also turned to her for clothes, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, who Herrera dressed for the last 12 years of her life.

Herrera was one of the first to use padded shoulders, believing that broader shoulders made a woman’s waist appear smaller, and she loved elaborate sleeves as well.

She became the talk of the town after designing the wedding dress for Caroline Kennedy in 1986. It made her a household name overnight and the gown was quickly copied. Soon, she was designing a ready-to-wear line as well as made-to-order pieces for women like Onassis, along with a bridal wear and a lower-priced line named CH.

There are three Carolina Herrera flagship boutiques in the world, including Highland Park Village in Dallas, and a CH Carolina Herrera store in NorthPark Center in Dallas.

Here’s a look at her spring 2009 collection.