Fashion icon Carolina Herrera to be honored with 2024 Hispanic Heritage Award at the Kennedy Center

Stay tuned for more Honoree, performers, hosts and presenter announcements

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WASHINGTON, DC –  The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced today that renowned Venezuelan-American Fashion Designer, Carolina Herrera, will be honored with the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Award for Fashion at the 37th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards (HHAs) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Opera House on September 5^th, 2024.

The HHAs, supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions, were established by The White House in 1988 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America, which is why they are often known as “America’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.”

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is thrilled to honor the transcendent Carolina Herrera, a true global icon who has represented our community with such tremendous vision, determination and grace throughout her historic career,” said Antonio Tijerino, HHF President and CEO. “We look forward to paying tribute to Carolina and all the Honorees through their accomplishments, cultural pride and our great promise to this country and the world.”

Carolina Herrera presented her first women’s ready-to-wear collection at the New York Metropolitan Club in 1981. Opening her New York atelier shortly before the inaugural show and cultivating a team trained in haute couture craftsmanship, the House of Herrera has become a global luxury powerhouse of fashion and beauty, destination for women in search of femininity, a touch of romance and exceptional craftsmanship known to the brand. Since 2018, Creative Director Wes Gordon, as appointed by Carolina Herrera, has continued to excite and thrill in his modern era of Herrera.

“It is an honor to receive the prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award which recognizes the tremendous contributions and legacy of Latinos in the United States and the world,” said Carolina Herrera. “I am proud to have the chance to celebrate our rich heritage and achievements with my fellow honorees in September. Thank you to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for this great honor.”

As one of the most influential Latin American fashion designers, Carolina Herrera has empowered women through elegance, beauty and self-confidence, and an inspiration for women around the world to defy expectations, having launched her eponymous label in 1981.

In recognition of her achievements in Fashion, Carolina Herrera has received numerous awards including, a Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award and the Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert by the Council of Fashion Designers of America; the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion; the Style Awards Designer of the Year; the Fashion Group International Superstar Award; Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Gold Medal; Gold Medal for Fine Arts by King Juan Carlos I, and CFDA Award for Womenswear Designer of the Year.

In 2000, the first Carolina Herrera New York boutique location opened its doors on New York’s Madison Avenue in a landmark three-story building. Today, Carolina Herrera consists of a broad global retail network for the Puig-owned brand which includes three wholly owned and operated Carolina Herrera fashion boutiques in New York, Dallas and Palm Beach, a newly opened beauty store in Nanjing, China and over 320 license-operated CH Carolina Herrera stores which feature men’s, women’s, children’s and accessories-focused lifestyle collection.

The historic HHAs, broadcast nationally on PBS, are not only considered among the highest honors for Latinos by Latinos but also the only Hispanic programming that honors Latino excellence in a variety of categories and disciplines as community and business leaders, entrepreneurs, STEM-related impactors, educators, innovators, public officials, and youth stand alongside celebrities and cultural icons.

Last year, the awards ceremony was held and taped for broadcast at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, marking the ninth consecutive year the awards have been presented on PBS. Watch the playlist for last year’s awards HERE & Check out HHF past honorees.

About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF)

The Hispanic Heritage Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round mission focused on education, workforce, and social justice and impact through the lens of leadership and culture.  HHF is a national nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.hispanicheritage.org and follow the Hispanic Heritage Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.  Listen to the HHF podcast Fritanga on favorite streaming service and HHF YouTube channel.

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For more information on the 37^th Hispanic Heritage Awards, please contact John Reilly, jreilly@jrprmusic.com or Nicolás Peña, nicolas@hispanicheritage.org

For Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Jessica Herrera Jessica@HispanicHeritage.org.