Narciso Rodriguez

Rodriguez was born in Newark, New Jersey, the eldest child and only son of Cuban parents. His parents, Narciso Rodríguez Sanchez II, a longshoreman, and Rawedia María Rodríguez.{{cite web | url= http://www.hola.com/biografias/narciso-rodriguez/ | title= Narciso Rodríguez biografias | website = hola.com| publisher = | date = November 7, 2006| accessdate= }}{{Cite news |last=White |first=Constance C. R. |date=1997-12-30 |title=A Phoenix Rises to Take His Influence Global |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/30/style/a-phoenix-rises-to-take-his-influence-global.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} His paternal grandfather was born on the Canary Islands.

Rodriguez graduated from St. Cecilias High School in 1979, a small Catholic school in Kearny, New Jersey.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} He then studied at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, where Isaac Mizrahi was a classmate.{{Cite news |last=Menkes |first=Suzy |author-link=Suzy Menkes |last2=Tribune |first2=International Herald |date=1997-09-09 |title=Future Chic: New Kids on the Block |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/style/IHT-future-chic-new-kids-on-the-block.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} His parents were against Narciso entering fashion.{{cite web |url= http://www.hispaniconline.com/magazine/2004/nov/CoverStory/index.html |title=Narciso Rodríguez |work= hispaniconline.com |access-date= October 26, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071014071807/http://hispaniconline.com/magazine/2004/nov/CoverStory/index.html |archive-date = October 14, 2007}}

Rodriguez performed freelance design work in New York before becoming Women’s Design Director for the Anne Klein label, then later working for Calvin Klein. His first major attention came in 1996 when he designed the wedding dress of fellow Calvin Klein employee Carolyn Bessette for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr.

Early in his career, Rodriguez worked as a design assistant at Calvin Klein, as a design consultant at Tse Athletics, and as design director of Cerruti Arte (1995–1997).{{Cite web |author=W. W. D. Staff |date=1995-12-20 |title=CERRUTI STRENGTHENS HIS WOMEN'S TIES |url=https://wwd.com/feature/article-1136104-1764139/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author=W. W. D. Staff |date=1997-03-18 |title=RODRIGUEZ NOT RENEWING HIS CONTRACT WITH CERRUTI |url=https://wwd.com/feature/article-1105559-1792152/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}

From 1997 to 2001, Rodriguez held the position as women’s ready-to-wear designer at Loewe.{{Cite web |author=W. W. D. Staff |date=1997-06-16 |title=NARCISO RODRIGUEZ: BRINGING N.Y. SMARTS TO LVMH'S LOEWE |url=https://wwd.com/feature/article-1112392-1786093/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author=W. W. D. Staff |date=2001-05-04 |title=LOEWE, NARCISO PART, NO SUCCESSOR NAMED |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/article-1184183/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}

Also in 1997, Rodriguez launched his own label. That year, he showed his first fur collection under his own name for Goldin-Feldman in New York.

When George magazine collapsed after John F. Kennedy Jr.'s death, Rodriguez hired Stephanie Mikesell, who had been an editorial assistant there, as his assistant. He designed her wedding gown when she married Mark Madoff, eldest son of Bernie Madoff.

In 2003, Rodriguez launched his first fragrance, Narciso Rodriguez for Her, inspired by a bottle of Egyptian musk oil he had been given in high school. Other popular fragrances by Narciso Rodriguez: Narciso Poudree (2016), Narciso Rouge (2018), Musc Noir For Her (2021).{{Cite web |title=Лучшие духи Narciso Rodriguez - Популярная парфюмерия Нарциссо Родригез - Самые известные ароматы Narciso Rodriguez. |url=https://duhinarciso.ru/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=duhinarciso.ru}}

By 2006, Rodriguez, who had ended his partnership with his label's manufacturer, Aeffe, was over US$1 million in debt to his suppliers, and needed fabric donations for his spring collection.{{cite news | authorlink= Cathy Horyn |last= Horyn | first= Cathy | date= May 7, 2007 | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/nyregion/07narciso.html | title= Fashion Industry Rallies to Aid Designer in Trouble | work = The New York Times| accessdate = May 7, 2007}}

On May 5, 2007, Liz Claiborne acquired a 50% interest in the Narciso Rodriguez label. However, in 2008, Narciso Rodriguez bought the 50% interest back from Liz Claiborne for 12 million dollars.{{cite web | date = May 5, 2007 | url= http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=82611&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=996459&highlight= | archive-url= https://archive.today/20120715160451/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=82611&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=996459&highlight= | url-status= dead | archive-date= July 15, 2012 | title = Narciso Rodriguez and Liz Claiborne Inc. Announce Partnership Agreement| website = corporate-ir.net| accessdate= June 29, 2008}}

On November 4, 2008, Michelle Obama wore a dress from Narciso Rodriguez's spring 2009 collection when she joined her husband, Barack Obama, appearing for the first time as president-elect of the United States, on the stage at Grant Park in Chicago; it received substantial attention in the press.{{cite news | last = La Ferla| first = Ruth | url= http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/that-dress-everyone-has-an-opinion/ | title= That Dress? Everyone Has an Opinion| work = The New York Times | date = November 5, 2008 | accessdate= November 5, 2008}} The dress, originally unveiled at New York City's Fashion Week in September 2008, came from Rodriguez's "stress-relief" design collection. Rodriguez was a strong supporter in the fashion world of Barack Obama's campaign; in August 2008, he blamed a slowdown in his business on "this Bush mess".{{cite web | url= http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/rodriguez-poolside-moving-on-1719306 | title = Rodriguez Poolside... Moving On| work = Women's Wear Daily | publisher =| date = August 20, 2008 |accessdate= November 6, 2008}} Michelle Obama wore Narciso Rodriguez for her final State of the Union appearance as First Lady.{{Cite web| last= Yotka| first=Steff|title=The Significance of the Dress Michelle Obama Wore for Her Final Speech as First Lady| url= https://www.vogue.com/article/michelle-obama-chooses-narciso-rodriguez-for-final-speech-as-first-lady|access-date=June 3, 2020| website= Vogue| date=January 6, 2017| language=en}} The same year, Rodriguez' dresses were featured in a catwalk scene in the feature film The Women, as being the designs of the character Mary Haines (played by Meg Ryan).

• 1997 – Designer of the Year, Hispanic Society of America

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news

| url = http://www.saralieberman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/P6M-Madoffs-Ultimate-Victim-Stephanie-Madoff-March-2011.pdf

| title = Madoff's Ultimate Victim

| work = Page Six magazine

| author = Sara Lieberman

| date = March 2013

| pages = 36–42

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160221223420/http://www.saralieberman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/P6M-Madoffs-Ultimate-Victim-Stephanie-Madoff-March-2011.pdf

| archive-date = February 21, 2016

| access-date = October 17, 2020

| url-status = live

| quote = {{'}}We worked together for six years, and I consider her family,{{'}} Rodriguez, one of Michelle Obama’s favorite designers, tells Page Six Magazine. {{'}}She’s a down-to earth, kind, loyal and sweet woman. She was an ace assistant and an important part of my team.{{'}}

}}

}}

• [http://www.narcisorodriguez.com/ NarcisoRodriguez.com]
• {{Fashiondesigner|narciso-rodriguez}}
• {{IMDb name|1797700}}

{{Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Narciso}}

Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Newark, New Jersey

Category:High fashion brands

Category:American fashion designers

Category:Cuban people of Canarian descent

Category:American people of Cuban descent

Category:Parsons School of Design alumni