André Leon
Tally hosted a party at Bergdorf’s celebrating
the publication of Alexandra Kotur's book, Carolina
Herrera: Portrait of a Fashion Icon.
Fresh from receiving the Fashion Force Award at Glamour's Women
of the Year Awards the night before, Herrera held court for close
to two hours surrounded by a sea of admirers who came to show their
love for a woman whose name has become synonymous with elegance.
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Carolina
Herrera
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Born into an aristocratic Venezuelan family, Carolina
Herrera attended
her first fashion show at the age of 13, showcased her first collection
at the New York Metropolitan Club in 1981 and has since distinguished
herself through a storied career that has seen her dress the Royals
as well as First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Nancy
Reagan and Laura Bush. Of the many Society designers to emerge during
the 1980's Herrera is the lone survivor.
Hal Rubenstein put it succinctly: "In a world
in which wearing borrowed haute couture on the red carpet signifies
great style
and erecting an East Hampton
faux chateau verifies taste .... Herrera is unassailable proof that class and
poise depend less on what you have on — or what you move
into — than on how you behave."
Kotur’s book is a portrait of feminine sophistication told through photographs
by Annie Leibovitz, Francesco Scavullo, Horst, Robert Mapplethorpe,
and Mario Testino, as well as the words of friends and admirers such as Calvin Klein,
Ian Schrager, and Bianca Jagger.
The night's guests included the author, Amanda Brooks, Annette de la
Renta, Amy Fine-Collins, Aerin Lauder, Kelly Bensimon, Anna Scott, Lee Martins,
Graydon
Carter, Anna Maria Tornaghi, Lady Lilliana Cavendish, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia,
Baird Jones, Pierre Duran, Kirat Yong, Doug Dechert, Helen O'Hagan, Rossano
Rubicondi and Ivana Trump, Prosper and Matilda Assouline, who published
the book; Yanna Avis and Samantha Boardman
— Chris Prendergast |
