Fashion legend Narciso Rodriguez, 63, explains why he feels 'too young' to retire from the industry
Narciso Rodriguez feels "too young" to retire from the fashion industry.
The 63-year-old designer came to worldwide attention when he designed the wedding dress for Carolyn Bessette for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr in 1996 and founded his first clothing label the following year but took a break from the industry around 2017 and is now making a comeback after moving into a new studio in New York.
He told Town and Country magazine: "I feel like I’m at the beginning of my career again. The craft, I realized, is so embedded in me. I can’t stop working. I’m too young. I want to start making clothes again."
Narciso had made a name for himself creating looks for the runway, but this time round wants to make sure that he is identifying and eliminating repetitive and unnecessary steps or activities and hinted that he is happy to work in a partnership.
He said: "I need [the business] to be streamlined. Whether it’s five dresses that I make for my own pleasure, or I produce them, that’s yet to be seen."
Over the years, Narciso - who is also well-known for his multi-million-selling fragrance line For Her - has dressed the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel Weisz, Claire Danes, Julianna Margulies, and Michelle Obama, whom he labelled as "strong, confident" women.
But he insisted that the late Carolyn - who died in a plane crash along with her husband aged just 33 in 1999 - is "always with him" and that he can always feel her presence.
He said: "They’re strong. They’re confident. They’re self-possessed. Certainly, Carolyn is ever present over my shoulder."
