Fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez was born on January 27, 1961, in New Jersey, USA. While studying at Parsons School of Design, he worked as an assistant to Donna Karan, and after graduating, he worked at Cerruti in Italy. He then served as an assistant designer for Calvin Klein, and began working on women's wear as well. In 1996, he was commissioned by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., to design a wedding dress. This was highly praised, and he founded his own brand, Narciso Rodriguez, in 1998. He also won the Perry Ellis Award that same year. He served as creative director of the fashion brand LOEWE from 1998-99 AW to 2002 SS, and his own brand gained popularity for both men and women. He also won the CFDA Best Designer Award in 2004 and 2005. He also has a fragrance division, and has previously released a perfume in collaboration with Shiseido.