Carla Rigg

Carla Rigg (born 19 February 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a former Lithuanian model and fashion designer.^[1] She was born as Karmen Jakaviciute-Grimalauskaite ir Janaviciute. She is daughter of the pianist and theatre director Liudas Jakavicius - Grimalauskas, and of Grazina Janaviciute, housewife.^[2] She is also granddaughter of the writer and nobleman Liudvikas Jakavicius-Lietuvanis.^[3] Her family was part of the Lithuanian Diaspora who lived in the exile by the Soviet occupation of Lithuania and that returned to Lithuania after the fall of the communism regime. Carla Rigg has lived in Argentina, Mexico and Lithuania.^[4]

Argentina

Carla Rigg was born into a family of artists and her talent manifested itself very early. Her sister is Spanish singer and actress Marcia Bell (b. 1951). When she was a teenager she tried to start a career as an actress participating in the famous TV show "Operación jaja" with the popular Argentinean actor Jorge Porcel.

Mexico

From 1982 to 1984 she worked for RB Models. She had also a few extra roles in American films, like in Dune by David Lynch. In 1984, she left her career as a model to give birth to her son Liudvikas Jakavičius-Grimalauskas as a single mother.^[5] That same year her life took an unexpected turn and she began a career in senior public relations, becoming the Public Relations of Alfredo del Mazo Gónzalez (Governor of the State of Mexico). From 1987 to 1993 she collaborated as Public Relations Executive Officer of The Council of Mexico City. In 1993, she graduated as a Fashion Designer from Jannette Klein Fashion Design University. There, she was pupil of the Mexican fashion designer Héctor Terrones. She also specialized in design, patterning, and marketing. In 1994, she opened her own Fashion House under the trademark "Carla Rigg", her name as professional model. Her company of haute couture was working during two years and she had the opportunity to design the wearing of different personalities of the Mexican high society like Nilda Patricia de Zedillo Velasco (wife of the former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León), Socorro Bonilla (actress) or Manoella Torres (singer), to name a few.^[6] In 1996 her company went bankrupt because Mexico had the worst economic crisis in the Mexican modern history. All the raw material that Carla Rigg Fashion House used for their production was imported from United States, France and Italy and the company had to pay their goods in USD to all their suppliers, when the USD triplicate their value. So all the exclusive and expensive clothes of haute couture of Carla Rigg Fashion House, triplicate their cost in a scenario of crisis. Her boutique was located in a mall in Jardines del Pedregal, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Mexico City and Latin America. From 1996 to 2005 Carla Rigg worked as Real Estate Advisor specialized in Luxury properties in America and Europe.

Lithuania

In 2005 after living in the exile all her life, Carla Rigg decided to return with her son Liudvikas Jakavičius-Grimalauskas to her roots in Lithuania and recover Lithuanian citizenship. Now, she devotes her life to promote the life and work of her grandfather Liudvikas Jakavicius-Lietuvanis, traveling around Lithuania and Europe to do this.^[7][8]

References