Oscar de la Renta

• Born: July 22, 1932
• Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Died: October 20, 2014

Dominican-born fashion designer and entrepreneur

One of the world’s best-known fashion designers, de la Renta began his career as an artist and illustrator. He worked for fashion houses in Spain and France before coming to the United States, where, since the late 1960s, his name has become synonymous with style and glamour.

Early Life

Oscar de la Renta (OHS-kahr day lah REHN-tah) was born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was the only son among seven children born to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father, who was an American citizen and worked as an insurance agent. After completing high school, de la Renta studied for two years at the National School of Art in his hometown and then continued his education as a painter at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. Because his father did not believe there was any future in art and was reluctant to pay his tuition, de la Renta financed his own studies by working as a newspaper artist, specializing in fashion sketches. This led to further work as an illustrator for Spanish fashion designers who recognized his talent.

In 1956, the wife of John Lodge, the US ambassador to Spain, was captivated by de la Renta’s work and asked him to design a dress for her daughter. This job brought him to the attention of designer Cristobal Balenciaga, who hired de la Renta as an illustrator. Over the next several years, he advanced to apprentice designer in Madrid. In 1961, Antonio del Castillo lured de la Renta to Paris, France, with a position as an assistant at Lanvin-Castillo, a fashion design house. Two years later, de la Renta relocated to New York where he was a custom collection designer for Elizabeth Arden.

In 1965, de la Renta went to work for designer Jane Derby, and that same year he launched his first independent ready-to-wear line for Derby’s company. De la Renta married for the first time in 1967, becoming the third husband of fashion consultant Françoise de Langland, editor in chief of French Vogue. When Derby died in 1969, de la Renta bought her company and gave it his own name.

Life’s Work

In 1971, de la Renta became a naturalized American citizen. That same year he was offered the post of Dominican ambassador to the United States, but he turned it down since he had renounced his Dominican citizenship. By then, de la Renta was firmly established in the fashion world, with a reputation for practical, elegant day wear and spectacular, exotic evening clothing drawn from a variety of diverse traditions. In 1973, he was elected president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1962 and the leading trade association of the fashion and accessory business, which by 2010 included more than 350 of North America’s top designers. While serving as president of the organization from 1973 to1976, de la Renta suggested the creation of the prestigious CFDA Awards. In 1984, during his second term as president, CFDA began to bestow honors for lifetime achievement, and the organization later added recognition for menswear, women’s wear, international design, and emerging talent in ready-to-wear.

De la Renta began expanding upon his brand name in 1976 with the first of a dozen fragrances he would introduce, which include Pour Lui (1980), Volupte (1992), Oscar for Men (1999), Oscar Tropical (2002), and Rosamor (2004). In 1989, de la Renta married for the second time to Annette Reed, daughter of a German banker and former wife of publisher Samuel P. Reed. De la Renta, who had stepchildren from both his marriages, also adopted a son, Moises, who has become a fashion designer in his own right.

In 1993, the house of Pierre Balmain hired de la Renta as couture collection designer, making him the first Latin American to lead a French high-fashion establishment. De la Renta designed haute couture for Balmain through 2001. He also continued to enhance the reputation of his own fashion house. In 1997, he introduced an exclusive line of sportswear for working women, OSCAR by Oscar de la Renta. In 2001, he added fashion accessories for women, such as handbags, belts, jewelry, cosmetic cases, scarves, and shoes, as well as sleepwear and eyewear. He branched out into home furnishings with brand-name furniture, tableware, crystal stemware, decorative fabrics and accents, wallpaper, bedding, rugs, and other items. He also built upon his menswear line with hosiery, suits, ties, sport coats, and trousers. In 2004, he launched O Oscar, a line of low-priced women’s sportswear, with no item selling for more than $100.

In 2004, de la Renta relinquished his position as chief executive officer of his fashion house to his son-in-law Alex Bolen. He retained his title as chairman of the board, continued to design all house collections, and remained extremely active in his multiple enterprises, which include boutiques in New York City; Manhasset, New York; Bal Harbour, Florida; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Dallas. By 2011, de la Renta divided his time between two large estates: a fruit plantation called Casa de Madera in the Dominican Republic and a mansion in Connecticut.

As a continuation of his reputation for designing clothes for some of Hollywood's hottest stars, one of de la Renta's final projects was creating the wedding gown for Amal Alamuddin, who married renowned actor George Clooney in a much-hyped ceremony in September 2014. Only about one month after the event, on October 20, 2014, it was reported that de la Renta had passed away due to complications from cancer at his home in Kent, Connecticut. He was eighty-two.

Significance

Throughout his long career as a fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta earned a reputation as a trendsetter. His clothing has been the first choice among many high-profile celebrities, including First Ladies Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush; model Kate Moss; and actors Marisa Berenson, Claudine Auger, Penelope Cruz, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Recognized for his many contributions to fashion, de la Renta won multiple industry honors. In 1990, he received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 and 2007 he was named Women’s Wear Designer of the Year. He was also a double winner of the American Fashion Critics’ Award and was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1995, he received the American Society of Perfumes’ Living Legend Award; in 2001, he was honored with a bronze plaque on Seventh Avenue in New York City’s fashion center. The country of his birth likewise honored him, both for his work in fashion and for his philanthropic efforts, such as his contributions to the building of a school in Punta Cana. He was awarded the Dominican Republic’s Order of Juan Pablo Duarte and the Order of Cristóbal Colón. De la Renta also worked for numerous charitable causes in the United States and served on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera and New Yorkers for Children.

Bibliography

Basu, Tanya. "Oscar de la Renta's All-American Fashion Revolution." Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.

Booth, Nancy M. Perfumes, Splashes, and Colognes: Discovering and Crafting Your Personal Fragrances. North Adams: Storey, 1997. Print.

Darraj, Susan Muaddi. Oscar de la Renta. New York: Chelsea, 2010. Print.

Horyn, Cathy, and Enid Nemy. "Oscar de la Renta, Who Clothed Stars and Became One, Dies at 82." New York Times. New York Times, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.

Lomba, Modesto, Candy Pratts, and Oscar de la Renta. Geography of Spanish Fashion. Madrid: Editores, 2010. Print.

Mower, Sarah. Oscar: The Style, Inspiration and Life of Oscar de la Renta. New York: Assouline, 2002. Print.