‘MY eye was accustomed to see beautiful things,” the incomparably chic Carolina Herrera declared, recalling her growing-up years in Caracas as the daughter of a governor and a socialite. And so will you, when you enter the CH Carolina Herrera boutique at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. Intimate but not intimidating, the flagship is like the personal closet of the designer herself—and her husband. All you see are beautiful things.
The covetable items are gorgeously arranged, in a way similar to the brand’s stores worldwide, amid an inviting interior strewn with lamps, large photographs and stark-red walls.
“I see customers who are really excited about our opening. People really know about our brand,” enthused Alexis Caceres Sanchez, the brand’s country manager who also oversees stores in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.
Carolina Herrera, as a young lady, wore Balenciaga, Lanvin and Dior. She started her career in fashion as a publicist for Emilio Pucci in Caracas in 1965, eventually moving to New York in 1980. Always classy, she was a standout among the hedonistic crowd of Studio 54, partying with Andy Warhol, Mick and Bianca Jagger.
It was legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, sensing Carolina’s innate talent, who encouraged her to be a fashion designer. Carolina Herrera’s first collection debuted at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Club in 1981, a critical and commercial success.
With these deep fashion associations, Carolina built a lifestyle empire specializing in womenswear, menswear, accessories and fragrances (though not carried at the store).
“The Philippines is a good market. Since I came here and what I have seen, I see people who love to dress according to their age, people who care a lot about fashion. I really think that our ready-to-wear will be very welcome to the market. And, of course, we are excited to explain about our collection and I really think we can have good business here and we can open more stores,” Sanchez said, in his smoldering Antonio Banderas accent.
The brand commemorated its 35th anniversary with the Insignia Collection of bags, bearing the CH logo as an integral part of the design. Also at the flagship are the Andy bags from The Factory Collection, and different-sized tote bags from the Matryoshka Collection. The white shirt—clean, crisp, classy—that’s a trademark of Carolina Herrera comes with bows and pleats.
“White shirts, which are very important to us, can be very welcome in the Philippines. Depending on how the woman wears it, the white shirt can be worn with or without jewelry, with denim, with leggings or with white crepe trousers. You can wear it in many, many different ways,” Sanchez suggested.
He added, “We also dress for men or somebody who doesn’t want to be anyone else—comfortable, relaxed. You may find any product that you may need, like basic shirts in any color, polo shirts, sweaters, trendy designs with patchwork, Italian suits made of superwool. The quality is very important. We also have pants and shirts with the CH insignia, shoes and ties.”
The collections are inspired by the districts of New York, like Central Park and Midtown, all served with Venezuelan verve. It’s red, white and black for this season, with pops of color like mimosa yellow and the magnolia pink. An ensemble “can have the femininity of the magnolia pink and the masculinity of the pinstripes in navy blue and white”.
There are laces, brocades, houndstooth and camouflage, and shirts with intricate patchworks, or appliques of toucans (the national bird of Venezuela) and jasmine flowers.
“Another iconic print is the polka dots. Always you can find polka dots in our store. They are really special—polka dots and white shirts. Since 1981 in our first show in New York, there’s always been polka dots. Always you will find red, white and black color. All Carolina Herrera trademarks. You will find them in any of her collections,” Sanchez explained.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Carolina the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. She also received the 2014 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. At the recent Emmys, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Sarah Paulson wore her designs. Millennials will be familiar with her creation: the bridal gown that Bella wore in Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
An International Best Dressed Hall of Famer, besides being a native of Venezuela, which we know is the bastion of beautiful women, so with all these accolades, Filipinas wouldn’t have a hard time believing Carolina Herrera when she says:
“I have a responsibility to the woman of today—to make her feel confident, modern and, above all else, beautiful.”
Image credits: INEZ AND VINOODH FOR W MAGAZINE, 2014; and MISS CHARLIZE