Emeralds are a Woman’s Best Friend

Carolina Herrera has always been an elegant lady. Born into an aristocratic family in Venezuela and known for her exceptional style, she was introduced to the fashion world as a child by her socialite Grandmother. She notes in her 2004 biography that her ‘eye was accustomed to seeing pretty things’ from a very young age, which has inspired her luxurious style of fashion ever since (Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Fashion Icon). 

In interviews she frequently reflects on the happy memories surrounding her childhood home. She has spoken fondly about her ‘beautiful garden’ and the jasmine vine that grew outside her bedroom window ‘which would open in the evenings, giving off a divine scent’. Even as a young girl it was clear Herrera could see the beauty in the world around her and was destined to create the ‘pretty things’ that she was so familiar with. 

In 1965, at the age of 26, she began her career working for Emilio Pucci, a Florentine Marquis and close family friend. She worked in Pucci’s boutique in the centre of Caracas until she moved to New York in 1980, where she associated with the likes of Mick and Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol. She became known amongst elite circles for her style and was soon asked to design a clothing line for Vogue in 1981. She debuted her collection to critical acclaim and went on to feature on Vogue’s cover seven times. 

Despite having no training as a designer, Herrera achieved remarkable things in the fashion world. She has won countless awards, owns one of the most successful fashion houses in New York, was one of the first designers to use the iconic shoulder pads of the 1980s and styled some of the most famous women in America. Among her most famous clients are the first ladies: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. In the late 1980s she turned her attention to perfumery when Spanish fragrance company Puig licensed her name to market a new fragrance line.

In 1995, Herrera became Creative Director of the business and by 2016 it was reported that her fragrance line had more than 25,000 points of sale across the globe. Some of her most well-known fragrances, including ‘Good Girl’ and ‘212 VIP’, explore what it means to be an elegant, sexy and confident woman in the modern world. Her range ‘Herrera Confidential’ is far more exclusive and can be found only in Harrods. This range includes sophisticated Eau de Parfums such as, ‘Mystery Tobacco’, ‘Oud Couture’, ‘Burning Rose’ and ‘Emerald Musk’. 

‘Emerald Musk’, sees Herrera go back to her aristocratic roots. Inspired by the regal green gem, it is a decadent fragrance steeped in noble heritage and opulence. Emeralds have been worn in Herrera’s family for generations and this fragrance is an ode to her family legacy and treasured upbringing. 

Along with being associated with royalty and power, emeralds are also considered one of the most fragile stones. Herrera’s fragrance captures this balance between power and fragility by combining bold and modest scents, accumulating in a rich and sensuous aroma with the depth of Middle Eastern perfumery. The fragrance initially releases bursts of pink pepper, while a powerful middle of rose, orris and leather emerges slowly. This intense combination is then balanced with a calming base of musk, vanilla bean and amber. All housed within a strikingly emerald green bottle, this unisex fragrance oozes powerful and majestic elegance.