15 MINUTES WITH … CAROLINA HERRERA DE BÁEZ
Tell us about the Embroidered Matryoshka bag. This is the second bag I’ve launched. I did the Mini Matryoshka in different colours first, which was a capsule collection, and this new range is a limited edition of just 20 bags, specially made for Singapore, with embroidery work done by Yolanda Andrés. And the new perfume under CH Carolina Herrera? Sublime is a floral with bergamot and passion flower notes. There’s also orchid, rose, a bit of leather, and patchouli. It’s a voluptuous perfume. Any particular muse in mind when you create a fragrance? More than an image of a particular woman, we create that woman. It’s hard to look at just one woman. What is the CH woman like? She’s elegant and feminine, knows what she likes, loves fashion but isn’t a fashion victim. She’s a romantic, has a sense of humour. She’s singular. What are some of your favourite scents? I love the smell of jasmine and the velvety scent of rose petals, because a rose can be interpreted in many different ways. What’s the best part of working with perfumes? The fact that there are no rules. Every time we launch a perfume and it’s a success, it is an amazing feeling. Being able to tap into someone’s sensory, emotional memory is incredible and it is great fun to work in a field that’s intangible, romantic, and emotional. If you weren’t making perfumes, you would be ... ? Making documentaries or films. Or running a business or a nursing school. Lessons your mother taught you? Stay grounded. Have your own inward world and don’t get influenced by everything around you. Family and friends are the most important.