Narciso Rodriguez is an American fashion designer with Cuban heritage. He studied fashion at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York, and honed his skills by freelancing for various companies in the city, including Anne Klein and Calvin Klein.
Rodriguez's first fragrance, For Her, was launched in 2003 in partnership with Shiseido's Beaute Prestige International Brand. The men's companion, For Him, followed in 2007. Since then, Narciso Rodriguez has expanded his fragrance collection to include Essence, Narciso, and Oriental Musc Editions.
Narciso Rodriguez fragrances are available for purchase on Amazon.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Main Activity | Fashion |
Parent Company | Shiseido |
Designer | Narciso Rodriguez |
Designer's Birthplace | Newark, New Jersey |
Designer's Heritage | Cuban |
Designer's Alma Mater | Parsons School of Design |
First Fragrance | For Her |
Year of First Fragrance | 2003 |
Number of Perfumes | 65 |
Collections | All Of Me, Essence, For Her, For Him, Narciso, Oriental Musc Editions |
What You'll Learn
Narciso Rodriguez's background and career
Narciso Rodriguez is an American fashion designer with Cuban heritage. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1961, the eldest child and only son of Cuban immigrants, Narciso Rodríguez Sanchez II and Rawedia María Rodríguez. Despite his parents' objections, Rodriguez studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City after graduating from St. Cecilia's High School in 1979. He began his career in fashion with freelance design work in New York, working for companies such as Anne Klein and Calvin Klein. During this time, he also served as a design assistant at Calvin Klein and a design consultant at Tse Athletics.
In 1995, Rodriguez achieved breakthrough success as the Design Director for both TSE in New York and Cerruti in Paris. It was during this period that he designed the iconic wedding gown for his friend, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996. This brought him international attention and led to the creation of his eponymous label in 1997. That year, he also presented his first women's ready-to-wear collection and showed his first fur collection under his own name for Goldin-Feldman in New York.
Rodriguez's label received immediate recognition, winning the "Best New Designer" award from Vogue/VH1 and the Council of Fashion Designers in America. He was also appointed director of women's ready-to-wear for the Spanish luxury house Loewe in 1997. Rodriguez continued to gain acclaim, receiving the CDFA Womenswear Designer of the Year award consecutively in 2002 and 2003, making him the first designer to achieve this feat.
In addition to his fashion line, Rodriguez expanded into the fragrance industry. He launched his first fragrance, "For Her," in 2003, followed by a male fragrance, "For Him," in 2007. He has since released several other fragrances, including Essence, Narciso, and Oriental Musc Editions.
Rodriguez is known for his architectural, sleek, and elegant style, with a Classic American/European influence and streamlined tailoring. He has dressed notable women such as Michelle Obama, who wore a dress from his spring 2009 collection when she joined her husband, Barack Obama, on stage for his first appearance as president-elect. Rodriguez's designs have also been featured in films such as "The Women," further solidifying his place in the fashion industry.
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The creation of his first fragrance
In 2003, Narciso Rodriguez launched his first fragrance, "For Her", in partnership with Shiseido's Beaute Prestige International Brand. Four years later, in 2007, the men's companion, "For Him", followed.
The creator of the male fragrance, Francis Kurkdjian from Takasago, was also responsible for the female version, which he made together with Christian Nagel. Kurkdjian was inspired by "the great masculine fougere fragrances from the 1980s" and included notes of musk, amber, violet leaf, and patchouli.
The female version, "For Her", was described as a "bold and contemporary" design and became a favourite among many.
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The inspiration behind his first fragrance
The first fragrance by Narciso Rodriguez, "For Her", was inspired by a bottle of Egyptian musk oil he had been given in high school. The designer himself described the scent as "something very personal of mine that I wanted to give to women".
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The awards he has won
Narciso Rodriguez is a celebrated fashion designer with Cuban heritage, who has made a name for himself in the industry with his unique and modern designs. He has won several awards for his work, including:
- In 1997, he was named Designer of the Year by the Hispanic Society of America.
- In 2001, he returned to the United States and went on to win "Designer of the Year" awards in 2002 and 2003 from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
- In 1995, he achieved breakthrough success as the Design Director for both TSE in New York and Cerruti in Paris. It was during this time that he designed the iconic wedding gown for his friend, Carolyn Bessette, for her wedding to John Kennedy Jr. This success led to the creation of his eponymous label in 1997, which received the Best New Designer award from Vogue/VH1 and the Council of Fashion Designers in America.
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The notes in his fragrances
The notes in Narciso Rodriguez's fragrances are inspired by the great masculine fougere fragrances of the 1980s. The notes in his cologne, "For Him", include musk, amber, violet leaf and patchouli.
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Frequently asked questions
No, it is not.
Narciso Rodriguez cologne is an aromatic fougere fragrance for men. It includes notes of musk, amber, violet leaf, and patchouli.
Narciso Rodriguez is an American fashion designer with Cuban heritage. He studied fashion at the Parsons School of Design in New York and has since become one of the most renowned American fashion designers of the 21st century.
Rodriguez designed the iconic wedding gown for Carolyn Bessette's wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. He has also won several awards, including the Best New Designer award from Vogue/VH1 and the Council of Fashion Designers in America, as well as the "Designer of the Year" award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2002 and 2003.
The Narciso Rodriguez fragrance collection includes "For Her," "For Him," "Essence," "Narciso," and "Oriental Musc Editions."