Carolyne Roehm
| Carolyne Roehm | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 7, 1951 Missouri |
| Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Spouse(s) | Axel Roehm Henry Kravis |
Carolyne Roehm (born Carolyne Jane Smith on May 7, 1951) is an American author, businesswoman, socialite, and former fashion designer.
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.
Roehm moved to New York City to work at Kellwood, a manufacturer of women's dresses.
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.
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.
Roehm has published at least ten books on topics such as gardening, interior decorating, gift wrapping, flower arranging, and party planning.
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.
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