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Born May 7, 1951 (age 65) ( 1951-05-07 ) Missouri Spouse(s) Axel RoehmHenry Kravis Books At Home in the Garden, A Passion for Blue & White, A Passion for Interiors, A passion for flowers, At Home with Carolyne | ||
Carolyne roehm at home part 1
Carolyne Roehm (born Carolyne Jane Smith on May 7, 1951) is an American author, businesswoman, socialite, and former fashion designer.
Contents
- Carolyne roehm at home part 1
- Carolyne roehm at home part 2
- Early life
- Early Career
- Oscar de la Renta
- Carolyn Roehm Inc
- Lifestyle Author
- Personal life
- References
Carolyne roehm at home part 2
Early life
Roehm was born in Missouri to a high school principal and a schoolteacher. She grew up in a middle-class family. Roehm graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1973 and moved to New York City.
Early Career
Roehm moved to New York City to work at Kellwood, a manufacturer of women's dresses.
Oscar de la Renta
Roehm started her fashion career working for Oscar de la Renta as an assistant and model before becoming an assistant designer. De la Renta became a mentor and father figure to her, even threatening her then-significant other, Henry Kravis, when he did not immediately propose to Roehm upon his divorce to his first wife.
Carolyn Roehm Inc.
Roehm later became a fashion designer in 1985 at the age of 34. Her husband, Kravis, invested millions of dollars into the brand. She shut down the line in 1991.
Lifestyle Author
Roehm has published at least ten books on topics such as gardening, interior decorating, gift wrapping, flower arranging, and party planning.
Personal life
Roehm's first marriage was to German chemical heir, Axel Roehm. Their marriage lasted about a year. She later married Henry Kravis in 1985, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1993. The home decorated for the couple by Robert Denning and Vincent Fourcade was parodied in the 1990 movie The Bonfire of the Vanities.
In the 1980s, Roehm and Kravis were symbols of the "Nouevelle Society" in Manhattan. The two were known for hosting lavish parties, including one that was held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They owned four properties worth millions each (such as their $5.5 million Park Avenue apartment), antiques from King Louis XV, and artwork from artists such as Renoir and Sargent.
