In all areas, some references and personalities are icons that everyone admires, follows, and trusts in their actions and every one of their words. This is Carolina Herrera for the fashion world, an important figure that represents Latinos in the world.
María Carolina Josefina Pacanins Niño was born in Caracas Venezuela on January 8, 1939. She grew up in an upper-class family that attended fashion shows and was very close to galas and events with powerful people. Carolina was accustomed to wearing Haute Couture from an early age.
She married at 18, had two daughters, and later divorced. Years later, she married Venezuelan aristocrat, Reinaldo Herrera, editor of Vanity Fair magazine, with whom she had two more daughters and adopted his last name.
She was always recognized for her good taste, elegance, and poise. She worked as a publicist, but it was not until she was 42 years old that she decided to venture into the world of international fashion, becoming one of the most important designers of recent years. Her first fashion show was in 1981.
Carolina Herrera has a marked style. Classic pieces, elegant cuts, and a demeanor that makes you look at her wherever she goes; however, she also has many style opinions that have caused a stir among fashion followers around the world.
Carolina has talked about the passing of time, how a woman ages, and especially about her appearance as an older woman. “Nothing ages a woman more than pretending she is still young” is one of her most famous phrases that has been replicated and applauded by millions.
However, on many occasions, she has given comments that very few people find appropriate. She’s claimed there are clothes people should no longer wear at a certain age, that we should all have some Botox at some point in our lives, and above all, that older women do not look good with long hair. But one of the most surprising and criticized details was that Carolina Herrera said that jeans are for young people and older women should not wear them.
The history of jeans is very curious, the first ones were made for miners and the working class in general. Today, there is a wide range of shapes, colors, and styles that suit everyone; there are even tips to find the best option according to your body type. They are the key piece of a casual look.
But Carolina Herrera says no. That if you are not young (over 30 according to her) you can’t wear miniskirts, bikinis, and jeans… and in that instant come to my mind all the beautiful women who are over 50, 60 or more, wearing a pair of cute pants and looking phenomenal.
“There’s nothing wrong with getting older. What’s wrong is if you try to stop it,” says Carolina Herrera. Do you think wearing jeans is trying to look younger?
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva