Oscar de la Renta dies at 82
Fashion mogul Oscar De La Renta has died, aged 82.
The acclaimed Dominican designer passed away on Monday (20Oct14) at his home in Kent, Connecticut, his wife Annette de la Renta has confirmed.
She did not divulge the exact cause of her husband's death, but de
la Renta had been intermittently battling cancer since his initial
diagnosis in 2006.
A handwritten statement signed by two of his company's executives,
son-in-law Alex Bolen and stepdaughter Eliza Bolen, reads: "While
our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is
still very much us. Oscar's hard work, his intelligence and his
love of life are at the heart of our company.
"All that we have done, and all that we will do, is informed by his
values and his spirit. Through Oscar's example we know the way
forward. We will make Oscar very proud of us by continuing in an
even stronger way the work that Oscar loved so much."
De la Renta was born into high society in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic in 1932. At the age of 18, he moved to Madrid, Spain to
study painting in at the Academy of San Fernando. There he
developed his love for sketching fashion designs, and it led to a
coveted apprenticeship with top Spanish couturier Cristobal
Belenciaga, and assistant jobs at French fashion houses Lanvin and
Balmain in Paris.
In 1963, he moved to New York City to work for designer Jane Derby
at Arden, and two years later (1965), he launched his own
ready-to-wear label at the age of 33.
His feminine and flowing gowns caught the eye of former First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy, who made de la Renta her go-to designer for
many years.
Other first ladies including Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton were
also big fans. Earlier this year (14) Laura Bush, feted de la Renta
at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas,
Texas in a retrospective titled Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of
Style, which featured more than 60 of his impeccable gowns.
His designs were beloved and worn by A-list fashionistas, including
Sarah Jessica Parker, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Jessica
Chastain, Kerry Washington and countless others.
Most recently, he collaborated with George Clooney's now-wife Amal
on her wedding gown for her September (14) nuptials in Italy.
The British lawyer told Vogue last month, "George and I wanted a
wedding that was romantic and elegant, and I can't imagine anyone
more able than Oscar to capture this mood in a dress. Meeting him
made the design process all the more magical, as he is so warm and
such a gentleman."
Over his 50 year career, de la Renta was honored with numerous
awards, including two Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the
Year Awards, a CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, two Coty American
Fashion Critics' Awards, the Gold Medal Award from the King and
Queen of Spain, the Legion d'honneur as a Commande from France, and
the order al Merito de Juan Pablo Duarte and the order of Cristobol
Colon from his native Dominican Republic.
De la Renta was married to French Vogue editor Francois Langlade
for 16 years until her death in 1983. He is survived by his second
wife, Annette, three stepchildren, and his adopted son Moises.