GEM issue
aRUDE comment
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Value Added Paul Wilmot interview by Idris Mignott
Sexy Haute Damaris Evans interview by Kathryn Cullen
The Gem Weaver Mish Tworkowski interview by Alan L. Scott
BEAUTY
Napoleon Complex photography by Jamie Nelson
Naked Ambition Joanne Gair interview by Dale Johnson
A Girl's Best Friend photography by Andrew Matusik
BON APPETIT
Questions for Annisa's Anita Lo
Questions for Indochine's Jean-Marc Houmard
FASHION
Portrait of a Lady Carolina Herrera interview by Iké Udé
Wicked Ways photography by Iké Udé
Dangerous Liasons photography by Simone Falcetta
Madame X photography by Iké Udé
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
Saint Richard of Celluloid Richard Pena interview by Brandon Judell
He Can Bark in French Robin Williams interview by Brandon Judell
No Botox For Her Mena Suvari interview by Brandon Judell
No Cock & Bull for Him Michael Winterbottom interview by Brandon Judell
OFF THE WALL THE COLOR OF MONEY
Franco Maria Bruccoleri
REVIEW
aRUDE Comment by Iké Udé
Telescope A close-up of the stars, notables, scenesters and picturesque dilettantes
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Renaissance Man Barnaba Fornasetti interview by Iké Udé
STYLE
Element of Style aRUDE's template for style
aRUDE comment
gem_issue_cherrera.php
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Value Added Paul Wilmot interview by Idris Mignott
Sexy Haute Damaris Evans interview by Kathryn Cullen
The Gem Weaver Mish Tworkowski interview by Alan L. Scott
BEAUTY
Napoleon Complex photography by Jamie Nelson
Naked Ambition Joanne Gair interview by Dale Johnson
A Girl's Best Friend photography by Andrew Matusik
BON APPETIT
Questions for Annisa's Anita Lo
Questions for Indochine's Jean-Marc Houmard
FASHION
Portrait of a Lady Carolina Herrera interview by Iké Udé
Wicked Ways photography by Iké Udé
Dangerous Liasons photography by Simone Falcetta
Madame X photography by Iké Udé
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
Saint Richard of Celluloid Richard Pena interview by Brandon Judell
He Can Bark in French Robin Williams interview by Brandon Judell
No Botox For Her Mena Suvari interview by Brandon Judell
No Cock & Bull for Him Michael Winterbottom interview by Brandon Judell
OFF THE WALL THE COLOR OF MONEY
Franco Maria Bruccoleri
REVIEW
aRUDE Comment by Iké Udé
Telescope A close-up of the stars, notables, scenesters and picturesque dilettantes
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Renaissance Man Barnaba Fornasetti interview by Iké Udé
STYLE
Element of Style aRUDE's template for style
CAROLINA HERRERA portrait of a lady
interview Iké Udé
Carolina Herrera photography José Sigala click image to enlarge I first met Carolina Herrera at a luncheon given by famed San Francisco socialite, the grand dame Denise Hale, at the former Le Cirque. The luncheon was for an intimate handful of media and cultural denizens of New York, and Carolina was seated next to me. We bandied about topics ranging from world affairs to the sartorial (and its alarming decline in our age). It was a communication we would continue, in correspondence, after the party was over.
Herrara belongs to that rarefied world of exquisite practitioners of severe elegance that is so alarmingly loosing ground to today’s unchecked, egalitarian tendencies for all things unwashed, quotidian and suffocating to the uniformity of taste. Her radicalism and her determination to uphold and champion a truly ennobling discipline of elegance is, to me, a beacon of hope and defiance in the face of the insensitive army of an indifferent public.
In 1981, Herrera launched her fashion line to great acclaim. And what some thought then would be a passing fancy, proved to be a deeply committed philosophy and an impassioned determination to stay the course of fashion that is averse to mediocrity and the gimmicky shrill employed by most so-called "designers".
It was none other than Herrera who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the last twelve years of the former first lady's life. And the current list of clients who rely on her exorable finesse ranges from Laura Bush to Renee Zellweger. As Herrera herself has said: "Women seem to love my clothes. I am extremely grateful for the success that they have given me."
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Herrera comes from an illustrious family of landowners and statesmen. Her parents, Guillemmo and Maria Cristina Pacanins, instilled in her an imperishable imprint of sophistication. Married to the gentlemanly Reinaldo Herrera, the couple has four daughters: Mercedes, Ana Luisa, Carolina Adriana and Patricia. And you can always count on their dogs, Gaston and Floyd, for immeasurable amusement at their historic home, Hacienda de La Vega, in Caracas.
Herrara was herself a client of the great Paris couture houses having attended, at the age of 13, her first couture show, presented by that august couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga. Thus, unlike most designers, she never needed any formal, shall we say, fashion schooling; Herrera has always breathed the alchemy and template of couture culture. And this very enviable experience informs her effortless fluency in the elegant vocabulary that is the hallmark of her work; in sharp contrast with many of her contemporaries, Herrera embodies what she advocates. Of how many supposedly grand designers can one make the same observation? Alas! At best they can be counted on one hand. And at worst, they are a phantom of false, clever prophets.
To be sure, Caroline Herrera also commands her share of hip quotient. She twirled and turned with Dionysian abandon at Studio 54, at the zenith of New York's glamorous decadence. She was there with Halston, Warhol, the Diana Ross contingent, Diane Von Furstenberg…the list goes on. Consider that in this heady hothouse of sweaty extravagance she never even shed a bead of sweat and always remained elegantly triumphant. Her repose, even at the vortex of that Bacchanalian climate, is testament to her ultra cool — as compared with the dandy's ineffable detachment.
In addition to her unquestioned acclaim as a clothing designer, Herrera commands respect in the areas of fragrance, bridal, cosmetics and accessories. All in all, Carolina Herrera’s career is the portrait of a lady.
Iké Udé: What was life like before you entered the fray of fashion design?
Carolina Herrera: It was far more fashionable! More relaxed, but less interesting.
Iké: What influences informed your first collection and how did you feel about the result?
CH: I was delighted with the results. I really loved my first collection. It was a confluence of influences so I cannot put my finger on one in particular; I was influenced by everything I had seen in fashion until then.
Iké: What is your take on the dichotomy, or ambivalence, in the States between impassioned creative designers and their strictly commercial counterparts?
CH: It can very simply be stated that what one loves is not necessarily what the public loves or likes. Also, many designers design for the press and then have to go through the difficult process of trying to transform those designs into dresses that can be worn.
Iké: How do you define and negotiate the tenuous notion of elegance in our age? And what do you think is the percentage of women who care to practice that fine discipline of elegance in our time?
CH: I think it is a very small percentage. There is very little elegance in our age. And the alienating circumstance is, I think, that most people strive in one way or another to achieve elegance.
Iké: What is the gap, and proximity, between elegance and sensuality?
CH: The gap is nakedness; the proximity is mystery.
CH: Their originality, and their discipline.
Iké: If not for your familiarity with these esteemed designers, would you have found a roadmap to forge your own fashion sensibility?
CH: Yes, because of my curiosity, and my eye.
Iké: In contrast to these August talents, what do you make of the Gaps, Zaras, H&Ms and such?
CH: They are geniuses that transform fantasy into reality.
Iké: What contemporary designers do you truly admire?
CH: Jean Paul Gaultier.
Iké: How do you start each collection? I mean, what are your rituals, processes, fears, etc?
CH: It all depends. Sometimes it starts with the color of a thread and that leads to so many more doors—a painting, a photograph, a memory…
Iké: Regardless of excellent sales performance and reviews, what are the best collections that you have created to date?
CH: My first, and my last collections.
Iké: Which of these stylish women, Mona Bismarck, Daisy Fellowes, Rita Lydig, Wallis Simpson, would have made ideal clients of yours were they alive today?
CH: I would have loved to dress Mona Bismarck and Daisy Fellows.
Iké: How do you rate Evita Peron's legendary chic?
CH: I never consider her chic.
Iké: What importance did your mother and grandmother hold for you personally and professionally?
CH: Your mother and grandmother are always a very important part of the baggage you carry through life.
Iké: And your father?
CH: My father as well; they are all tremendous influences on me.
Iké: Could you name some movies, paintings, sculptures, or photographs that have been a source of inspiration to you?
CH: Hitchcock movies, photographs of Man Ray, Lartigue, Cecil Beaton; the white set designs of Oliver Messel, the German expressionist; all of Matisse, Bronzino, Goya, Zurbaran…
Iké: What led you to accessories and perfumes? Do you consider your foray into these spheres a success?
CH: I love accessories and always have. I cannot conceive of life without a perfume. Don't forget Voltaire, who said, "Le superflu, cette chose si nÈcessaire…." Fortunately, they have been a great success.
Iké: Do you have any uncompromising design and style philosophies?
CH: Never accept anything fake; style, like design, must be pure and real.
Iké: Your three most favorite cities?
CH: Wherever I am at the moment!
interview Iké Udé
Carolina Herrera photography José Sigala click image to enlarge I first met Carolina Herrera at a luncheon given by famed San Francisco socialite, the grand dame Denise Hale, at the former Le Cirque. The luncheon was for an intimate handful of media and cultural denizens of New York, and Carolina was seated next to me. We bandied about topics ranging from world affairs to the sartorial (and its alarming decline in our age). It was a communication we would continue, in correspondence, after the party was over.
Herrara belongs to that rarefied world of exquisite practitioners of severe elegance that is so alarmingly loosing ground to today’s unchecked, egalitarian tendencies for all things unwashed, quotidian and suffocating to the uniformity of taste. Her radicalism and her determination to uphold and champion a truly ennobling discipline of elegance is, to me, a beacon of hope and defiance in the face of the insensitive army of an indifferent public.
In 1981, Herrera launched her fashion line to great acclaim. And what some thought then would be a passing fancy, proved to be a deeply committed philosophy and an impassioned determination to stay the course of fashion that is averse to mediocrity and the gimmicky shrill employed by most so-called "designers".
It was none other than Herrera who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the last twelve years of the former first lady's life. And the current list of clients who rely on her exorable finesse ranges from Laura Bush to Renee Zellweger. As Herrera herself has said: "Women seem to love my clothes. I am extremely grateful for the success that they have given me."
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Herrera comes from an illustrious family of landowners and statesmen. Her parents, Guillemmo and Maria Cristina Pacanins, instilled in her an imperishable imprint of sophistication. Married to the gentlemanly Reinaldo Herrera, the couple has four daughters: Mercedes, Ana Luisa, Carolina Adriana and Patricia. And you can always count on their dogs, Gaston and Floyd, for immeasurable amusement at their historic home, Hacienda de La Vega, in Caracas.
Herrara was herself a client of the great Paris couture houses having attended, at the age of 13, her first couture show, presented by that august couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga. Thus, unlike most designers, she never needed any formal, shall we say, fashion schooling; Herrera has always breathed the alchemy and template of couture culture. And this very enviable experience informs her effortless fluency in the elegant vocabulary that is the hallmark of her work; in sharp contrast with many of her contemporaries, Herrera embodies what she advocates. Of how many supposedly grand designers can one make the same observation? Alas! At best they can be counted on one hand. And at worst, they are a phantom of false, clever prophets.
To be sure, Caroline Herrera also commands her share of hip quotient. She twirled and turned with Dionysian abandon at Studio 54, at the zenith of New York's glamorous decadence. She was there with Halston, Warhol, the Diana Ross contingent, Diane Von Furstenberg…the list goes on. Consider that in this heady hothouse of sweaty extravagance she never even shed a bead of sweat and always remained elegantly triumphant. Her repose, even at the vortex of that Bacchanalian climate, is testament to her ultra cool — as compared with the dandy's ineffable detachment.
In addition to her unquestioned acclaim as a clothing designer, Herrera commands respect in the areas of fragrance, bridal, cosmetics and accessories. All in all, Carolina Herrera’s career is the portrait of a lady.
Iké Udé: What was life like before you entered the fray of fashion design?
Carolina Herrera: It was far more fashionable! More relaxed, but less interesting.
Iké: What influences informed your first collection and how did you feel about the result?
CH: I was delighted with the results. I really loved my first collection. It was a confluence of influences so I cannot put my finger on one in particular; I was influenced by everything I had seen in fashion until then.
Iké: What is your take on the dichotomy, or ambivalence, in the States between impassioned creative designers and their strictly commercial counterparts?
CH: It can very simply be stated that what one loves is not necessarily what the public loves or likes. Also, many designers design for the press and then have to go through the difficult process of trying to transform those designs into dresses that can be worn.
Iké: How do you define and negotiate the tenuous notion of elegance in our age? And what do you think is the percentage of women who care to practice that fine discipline of elegance in our time?
CH: I think it is a very small percentage. There is very little elegance in our age. And the alienating circumstance is, I think, that most people strive in one way or another to achieve elegance.
Iké: What is the gap, and proximity, between elegance and sensuality?
CH: The gap is nakedness; the proximity is mystery.
There is very little elegance in our age. And the alienating circumstance is, I think, that most people
strive in one way or another to achieve elegance.
Iké: You admire Balenciaga, Chanel, YSL, etc. What do you particularly
fancy in each of these talents?
CH: Their originality, and their discipline.
Iké: If not for your familiarity with these esteemed designers, would you have found a roadmap to forge your own fashion sensibility?
CH: Yes, because of my curiosity, and my eye.
Iké: In contrast to these August talents, what do you make of the Gaps, Zaras, H&Ms and such?
CH: They are geniuses that transform fantasy into reality.
Iké: What contemporary designers do you truly admire?
CH: Jean Paul Gaultier.
Iké: How do you start each collection? I mean, what are your rituals, processes, fears, etc?
CH: It all depends. Sometimes it starts with the color of a thread and that leads to so many more doors—a painting, a photograph, a memory…
Iké: Regardless of excellent sales performance and reviews, what are the best collections that you have created to date?
CH: My first, and my last collections.
Iké: Which of these stylish women, Mona Bismarck, Daisy Fellowes, Rita Lydig, Wallis Simpson, would have made ideal clients of yours were they alive today?
CH: I would have loved to dress Mona Bismarck and Daisy Fellows.
Iké: How do you rate Evita Peron's legendary chic?
CH: I never consider her chic.
Iké: What importance did your mother and grandmother hold for you personally and professionally?
CH: Your mother and grandmother are always a very important part of the baggage you carry through life.
Iké: And your father?
CH: My father as well; they are all tremendous influences on me.
Iké: Could you name some movies, paintings, sculptures, or photographs that have been a source of inspiration to you?
CH: Hitchcock movies, photographs of Man Ray, Lartigue, Cecil Beaton; the white set designs of Oliver Messel, the German expressionist; all of Matisse, Bronzino, Goya, Zurbaran…
Iké: What led you to accessories and perfumes? Do you consider your foray into these spheres a success?
CH: I love accessories and always have. I cannot conceive of life without a perfume. Don't forget Voltaire, who said, "Le superflu, cette chose si nÈcessaire…." Fortunately, they have been a great success.
Iké: Do you have any uncompromising design and style philosophies?
CH: Never accept anything fake; style, like design, must be pure and real.
Iké: Your three most favorite cities?
CH: Wherever I am at the moment!
