Carolina Herrera to be honored by Savannah College of Art and Design with the university’s prestigious Étoile Award, given in recognition of Herrera’s outstanding contributions to fashion, culture and design.

The SCAD Museum of Art and SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film present the dual exhibition, “Refined Irreverence,” in celebration of Herrera’s achievements and the 35th anniversary of the House of Herrera. The dual exhibition marks the first-ever museum showing of Herrera’s formidable work.


ATLANTA and SAVANNAH, Georgia — April 21, 2016 — The Savannah College of Art and Design announced today that it will honor legendary fashion designer Carolina Herrera with the university’s prestigious Étoile Award at 2 p.m., Friday, May 20, 2016, at Arnold Hall theater, 1810 Bull St., in Savannah. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The university will also honor and celebrate the 35-year reign of the storied House of Herrera with an expansive dual exhibition of Herrera’s designs. “Refined Irreverence” opens simultaneously on May 20 at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta and at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah.

“It is a great privilege to fête 35 years of Carolina Herrera’s timeless elegance, and to engage SCAD students with a designer par excellence,” said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “Her artistry reflects a refined sensibility that is at once classic and modern. Every woman who wears her designs feels exactly as Carolina intends: beautiful.”

The SCAD Étoile Award honors past and present outstanding achievements in style and design. Herrera joins previous SCAD Étoile Award honorees, including Pierre Cardin, David Yurman, Catherine Deneuve, Cornelia Guest, Russell Simmons, Dakota Jackson, Graydon Carter, Sir David Tang, Robin Givhan and Margaret Russell. Famed fashion designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Alexander Wang and others, have attended the annual SCAD Fashion Show each year to provide SCAD students with unrivaled real-world critiques of their work.

To date, SCAD has also honored fashion industry titans Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, Francisco Costa, Manolo Blahnik, Miuccia Prada, Zac Posen and Vivienne Westwood during its annual signature fashion events and lecture series. This year’s SCAD Fashion Show will be held at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 21, 2016, at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., in Savannah.

“Refined Irreverence” is the inaugural museum exhibition of Herrera’s designs. The exhibition also celebrates SCAD’s first concurrent show at both SCAD FASH, the university’s new museum dedicated to fashion and film in Atlanta, and SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah’s destination for progressive arts installations and performances since 2011.

Curated by Rafael Gomes, SCAD director of fashion exhibitions, the retrospective of more than 75 garments will feature new and vintage Herrera designs, from her 1981 inaugural collection to the present. The sweeping presentation will include runway looks, bridal collections, red-carpet gowns worn by Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Tina Fey, Renée Zellweger and Lucy Liu, as well as works from Herrera’s personal collection.

Carolina Herrera is an international fashion house recognized for timeless elegance and refinement. Founded in 1981 by Carolina Herrera, the eponymous label produces numerous collections consisting of ready-to-wear and accessories for women, men and children, as well as bridal and fragrances available in 105 countries at 15,000 points of distribution, including over 125 CH Carolina Herrera and three Carolina Herrera New York retail locations. The collections reflect an effortless sophistication inherent in the iconic style of founder Carolina Herrera. Visit carolinaherrera.com, facebook.com/carolinaherrerany and follow @houseofherrera on Instagram for the latest news from inside the house.