Roehm started her high 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.
Carolyne Roehm Inc.
In 1985, after ten years working for Oscar de la Renta, Roehm became a fashion designer at the age of 34 when she launched her own fashion house. Roehm's high-end clothing was designed for women with money, active lifestyles and calendars filled with social engagements and work outside the house. Although it received accolades, she shut down the line in 1991. While she formally discontinued her clothing line, she still employed a small staff to run a mail-order business and produce an exclusive line for Saks. During her time in the fashion industry, she was elected President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and guided the organization as it became a major supporter of AIDS research.
Carolyne Roehm Design
Moving beyond clothing, Roehm broadened her design horizons and shifted her focus to the world of flowers, entertaining, gardens, interiors and products. Throughout her design career, she has created clothing, accessories, books, decorative accessories for the home, interiors, home fragrance and candles, table linens and table tops, paper products, glassware, and luggage. Her late friend, Bill Blass, said of her “She is the ultimate tastemaker.”
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
Marriages
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, antiques from King Louis XV, and artwork from artists such as Renoir and Sargent.
Residences
Roehm resides in New York, Connecticut, Colorado, and South Carolina.
