Today is the first of a six-part summer series where we ask the savvy and the stylish what they are reading, doing, consuming, loving and looking at.
Born into the land-owning classes of Venezuela, Carolina Herrera's aristocratic upbringing is still present in every stitch of her famously extravagant gowns and chic skirt suits. In Caracas, she grew up surrounded by the good things in life: equestrian sports (a regular theme in her designs), style (she met Cristobál Balenciaga at 13 on a trip to Paris with her grandmother) and structure (her mother instilled in her a strong sense of propriety).
When she moved to New York in 1981 with her second husband and two daughters, she was already a regular on the Best Dressed lists - while partying with the Warhol crowd in the evenings. Launching her label 30 years ago, at the behest of the legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland and her friends Count Rudi Crespi and his wife Consuelo, her clothes were an instant hit and her devotees have ranged from Jackie Onassis to Renée Zellweger - who almost always wears Herrera on the red carpet. Now, with two lines (Carolina Herrera and CH by Carolina Herrera), several scents, more than 70 stores around the world (including in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and a Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the 72-year-old's swept-back hair and trademark crisp white shirts are instantly recognisable.
- I have many books on my bedside table. Right now I'm reading Elizabeth the Queenby Sally Bedell Smith (Random House) and Lethal by Sandra Brown (Grand Central Publishing), which is great for the plane.
- I listen to everything from Lady Gaga to Beethoven. Lady Gaga is a style icon - she's consistent in her style.
- I love films. I recently saw Martin Scorsese's Hugo and loved it. It was full of fantasy and is a beautiful film for both grown-ups and children.
- My favourite cities, apart from New York, are Paris and Venice. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In the spring, Paris is fantastic. The food, ambience and the people around the city are very special. And I love Venice. It is such a mysterious and romantic city.
- The fashion designers I most admire are Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Elsa Schiaparelli.
- I always carry plum lip stain by Bobbi Brown in my bag. I love scarlet lips. They don't make it any more but I have a stock from before it was discontinued.
- I am obsessed with the CH Mini Matryoshka bag! I carry a different one every day. The last one I got was a yellow one.
- I don't cook, but my favourite food is scrambled eggs with white truffles.
- I have many favourite restaurants - La Grenouille and The Waverly Inn in Manhattan, Benetos on the Greek island of Patmos, Casa Lucio in Madrid and Scott's in London.
- At the end of last year I travelled to Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They were all absolutely breathtaking and it was amazing to see all of the places from the One Thousand and One Nights. I like the old-fashioned hotels, such as The Ritz in Madrid or The Plaza Athenée in Paris, because it's like moving from your house and making something out of your house comfortable. And the Ritz is very close to the Prado Museum and Botanical Gardens.
- I'm not an art collector, but I love art. When I was 8, I fell in love with Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It was the first piece of art I had ever seen and has been my favourite since.
- My favourite way to relax is a walk with my dogs, Gaspar and Marcus.
Carolina's world
Inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere. Inspiration and creativity are always with me. I always keep my eyes open because you can find inspiration in a book, in a film, on the streets.
My greatest achievement so far is my children.
Style is a state of mind. It is how you live, how you wear your clothes, it is what you read and what you love. It has nothing to do with money and merely with what you wear.
The person I most admire is Queen Elizabeth II.
My perfect dinner guests would be Noel Coward for his wit and Brad Pitt for his looks.
My guilty pleasure is chocolates.
I never leave home without a lipstick and a handkerchief in my handbag.
