Glamouria - Exclusive Interview with Lady Carolina Herrera About Love, Men, Family, Elegance… By Hayat Ammouri

Mrs Carolina Herrera at NYFW Credit: Hayat Ammouri

Carolina Herrera with her Daughters

How were you raised? What were the values given to you? 

Of course, I had it in me. When I was 15 or 16, I started noticing everything. It was not like today, that children or girls get dressed the way they like. When I was growing up they would tell me what to wear, and I would wear it. Me and my sisters. Now I see it’s different. I hear little girls saying “no, I don’t like these shoes, I like the other ones”. Oh my God, I was not brought up like this. At 15 and 16, I started thinking. I was not thinking about design, but I loved to get dresses. Design came later in life. I started designing for myself, I loved it, I adored it, I thought it was so much fun. 

I don’t know if I made it. I want more.. She laughs! 

Of course you made it!  

Especially when you have children. Did you feel that at any time you had to sacrifice something for your children or your work?

Did you go through a phase when you thought it’s hard, and you can’t go with it? 

No, I thought it was hard, but I never thought I was going to stop because of that. No no. You always have to say I have to do it better, I should do it this way. It’s not only me, it’s also the team. I don’t do it on my own. I always had a good team, a fantastic team. I was very lucky since the beginning. I had a team in business, I had a design team, a PR team, I can not do it on my own.

Yes, I wanted women to be very feminine and elegant and sophisticated; I wanted clothes that for real women, not that trendy things that you keep for 3 months and then you throw them away. Classic look in a very modern twist, extravagancy, extravagant details, Why not, it’s very feminine. Well made clothes, beautiful material. And to to be admired by both women and man. 

Yes, I only wear Carolina Herrera. 

Sometimes I do, yes, I keep things. I keep things and dresses that I wore 5 years ago. If I want to wear them again, I wear them again. 

How do you relax when you do the shows? 

Before the shows I am never calm. I seem to be calm. I seem to be very very calm, but inside of me I have butterflies coming.

I do it for my team, for my people. Because if you are very nervous, over excited, everybody will feel the same. If they see me calm, everyone is calm, they think everything is going well because look at her, she seems very calm. 

Ahh… Sometimes I am, sometimes not. I can’t wait. 

No, I am not very patient. It’s something that I would really like to be more. 

Every woman I know reacts without thinking. she laughs. And every man too.. That’s very human. 

Men don’t think at all! 

No, they don’t think at all. No, you’re right. They don’t . women are more perceptive. And we keep things in control. That’s why when there is a family, the person who controls the family and keeps the family together is the woman. Men never think about it because they are thinking about something else. We are different from men, and we should be. Women can live alone, and men can’t. We can because we have a lot of interests. I have a lot of interests. You could be a wife, for a while..

Friendship. Love first, friendship, respect, you have to respect each other. And when you are going to say something, think about it, don’t say something that you can’t take back. Respect and consideration are also important. This has to be from both sides. 

I think so. It’s a different kinds of love, but yes. Love is very important in life. I don’t think anyone could live without love. 

Love is fantastic, and you can define it in many different ways. There is passionate love, love of friendship, love of complicity, there is love for everything. There is love for friends, your children, they are always different. Love is the most important thing in life. 

Carolina Herrera’s Daughters and Grandchildren

Ohhhhh…. I love them, and I love them with no responsibility. 

No, no no no.. this is why I say with no responsibility at all. The father and the mother can educate them, but I don’t have to. You can spoil them. I can spoil them a lot! 

A lot. We are very close. I have four daughters, and they are very close together. 

No, no no.. If they want to, yes… 

No, no.. She wanted to do it, she came for internship. We looked at her way of doing things, her style, a good style. We offered her to stay and work with our scents, and she said yes and she stayed.

I loved them, I think they are great. I think she is happy doing it, and she looks beautiful. So that is perfect. 

Like everyone else. Sometimes I like to be alone a little bit to put all my ideas together, or go out, to the movies, or to the park. 

Where do you go for holidays? What is your favorite spot?

They change. I had a wonderful holiday this summer. I went to Formento in Palma. And I loved it. It all depends on the mood.

It’s New York. I have my home in New York. 

Mother. 

Something that fades, goes away. 

The beauty that does not go away?

Inside of you. 

Appearance. Elegance is born with you. Sometimes you acquire it, and sometimes you never do. It stays sleeping. 

Family?

Power is a difficult thing to describe. Power and money change you. You could see from the presidents of different countries. They are something, and with power they become something else. Power is dangerous. 

You can not change. Power changes the mind of people, and power with money is even worse. That’s why I say power is dangerous. 

Honesty, loyalty. 

It’s the best! What could you say about motherhood, the best! 

Even better! 

I don’t see myself, but I see my husband in Olympia. The way she looks and the way she talks, the way she moves and she answers you, yes, I see it very much. But you never see yourself looking like somebody else. It is very difficult. Even if it’s exactly like you, you don’t see it.

I love it. I love plastic surgery that is well done. (she laughs).. I love women who want to look well but with no excess. You can do it once in your life, and stop. And now you could keep that for once in your life, with little injections and things like that.

I do use all the products from Patricia Wexler. She takes care of my face. 

I do exercise every day for half an hour. 

I go on the “ skiing treadmill.” 

I have been to Dubai. It’s amazing. It’s the most amazing place in the world. To be built in such little time it’s amazing. And the way they are growing is amazing. Everything happens there. 

We do have a new store in Dubai. 

We do few things for the home within CH. But it will come. Everything has a time. The time hasn’t came for the home collection, but it will. We always have plans, and we have a new perfume coming for women, CH. 

Yes, of course. I am very involved. I am not one of these people who puts her name on things and then you don’t know what you have, you can’t. 

Carolina Herrera, the first one… I mix it sometimes with 212. 

Carolina uses many things, yes…

Yes, I have been wearing it for a long time. It’s designed by Verdura for Greta Garbo in the forties. It’s called the Garbo watch 

Yes, I love jewels, but at the right moment.