As far as the their brand is concerned, Carolina and her team are excited to use this occasion to celebrate personal milestones: The Carolina Herrera boutique fetes 10 years on Madison Avenue with classic American cocktails, Magician Mark Mitton, a digital photo booth, and music by Paul Sevigny. The party trickles down the avenue as CH by CAROLINA HERRERA celebrates a much-anticipated Madison opening as well. Carolina and her daughter, Carolina Herrera Baez, will be there alongside special guest illustrator Robert Risko, who will create personalized caricatures for customers. The festivities are not limited to Manhattan, however; her stores from Dallas to Los Angeles will be similarly in full swing. Not to mention the Bal Harbour Shops boutique party, where 10 percent of proceeds from sales made between September 9 and 11 will benefit Best Buddies Miami. I liken the night more to a World Cup of fashion as Carolina informs me that “this year there are double the cities participating,” a truth that she describes as nothing short of “fabulous.”
Another fabulous project in the works: the Fall 2010 Carolina Herrera ad campaign shot by Mario Sorrenti, featuring her daughter (it’s easy to keep it in the family when Carolina, Jr., is nothing short of breathtaking) and a zebra. This is actually the sixth campaign that Baez has graced. Appropriately, she gives off a similar air of sophistication as her mother, so the message is clear and the aesthetic remains intact. And said air is indeed scented—Baez works on the house’s fragrances as well.
For Carolina, the whirlwind of goings-on changes nothing. She doesn’t plan to approach her process any differently now that she’ll show at Lincoln Center. She continues to work on the next collection, which covers far more than the supremely edited selection of her signature looks, but also includes the details she’s known to fawn: curated music, the works. It’s a process, of course. “Nothing happens overnight,” she concludes.
She sure makes it look easy; but while Carolina hires magicians, she’ll humbly admit that she’s far from one herself.
