A Visit With Carolyne Roehm

For more than two decades Carolyne Roehm has been viewed as one of this country’s trendsetters in fashion, elegance, and tastemaking. After an impressive career as one of the fashion world’s reigning designers and recognized in her own right as one of the world’s best-dressed women, Roehm has now turned her talents to teaching others about flowers, lifestyle, decorating, and entertaining. She has been described by the press as not only one of the most beautiful and charming women in New York but also as ‘driven’ and ‘highly organized.’ It is these qualities that led her to Oscar de la Renta for whom she worked for 10 years as a house model and designer.In 1984, she started her own fashion house, Carolyne Roehm Inc.; it was an instant success, receiving rave reviews from fashion critics. Her beautiful designs along with her unflagging insistence on using only the finest materials quickly found a home with discriminating consumers. As a result of her contribution to style, Roehm was elected President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. But Roehm’s passion for beauty extended beyond the sphere of fashion, and she became determined to broaden her horizons accordingly. She felt the world of flowers, entertaining, garden design, and interior and product design allowed her to reach a far wider audience and would allow her to contribute beauty and style to women who might not be able to buy high fashion but desired beauty in their homes.