A Design Legend: Oscar de la Renta

When one hears the name Oscar de la Renta, immediate thoughts that come to mind are stunning creations, one-of-a-kind pieces, beautiful embroidery, gorgeous details, classic, and timeless, among many others. His designs have been worn by the most stylish women in the world.

Oscar de la Renta truly designed for women, and his designs made women feel absolutely beautiful, inside and out. He’s a legend, and his designs live on and are still, and will always be, some of the most highly coveted designs out there.

Last week we were fortunate enough to get to attend the Oscar de la Renta runway show for the Museum of Fine Arts Luncheon at Bayou Bend. This collection (fall 2017) was only shown in New York City and Paris, and now Houston. Not only were we able to attend, but we filmed a behind the scenes video, which you can check out here, if you haven’t already, and in this post you’ll find some photos from the event. It was a really special afternoon, and the collection is unbelievably gorgeous. In honor of this wonderful event and honoring the memory of the incredible Oscar de la Renta, we wanted to share some facts about him that you might not know of, so keep on reading.

• He was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932 and had six sisters
• At 18, he moved to Spain to study painting, but quickly became enamored with the world of fashion design, and soon after, he had an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga.
• He was vacationing in Paris and got hired at Lanvin-Castillo, and within a couple years, he moved to NYC and joined the Elizabeth Arden team.
• In 1965, he began his ready-to-wear line
• He got married in 1967 to the Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue
• His first perfume came out in 1977
• He served as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America for many years
• His wife passed away in 1983, and in 1990 he got re married
• Many American first ladies have worn his designs, such as Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton
• He served on many boards, such as The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, among others.
• He was diagnosed with cancer in the early 2000s and he died in 2014 at the age of 82.

As we said, Oscar de la Renta is a real legend in the fashion world and beyond. People will always remember him for his beautiful, feminine pieces, and his love of dressing for the modern woman.

Some information on Oscar de la Renta via Biography.com, Photo of Oscar de la Renta via Los Angeles Times