Oscar de la Renta

Chosen for the bi-annual Print issue of FSU's on campus fashion magazine, Swatch.

“Everything Oscar does is feminine, romantic, and appropriate,” commends American Vogue Editor in Chief, Anna Wintour, describing the designs of one of Fashion’s leading men, Oscar de la Renta. Today, 81-year-old designer is recognized as one of the most successful and well respected figures in the fashion Industry. Known for his couture-like RTW collections, the Dominican designer’s styles have graced some of our culture’s most prominent icons, from Hollywood royalty to fashionable first ladies.

After leaving the Dominican at 18 to study art in Spain, Oscar became entranced by the world of fashion. His pristine sketching skills and impeccable taste, led to his first apprenticeship with world-renowned coutourier, Cristobal Balenciaga, who de la Renta has famously labeled his mentor.

From Balenciaga, Oscar added to his resume, a highly coveted position as a couture assistant at renowned Paris fashion house, Lanvin.

After two years, de la Renta left Paris, at the advice of American Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to accept a role as a couturier with American designer, Elizabeth Arden. Soon after moving to New York, in 1965, Oscar finally launched his own ready-to-wear label, which has grown into the esteemed fashion empire we know him for today.

Oscar de la Renta rose to fashion fame when he became a fast favorite of style icons such as first lady, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, whom he served as a personal couturier, and Hollywood starlet, Audrey Hepburn.

Oscar de la Renta’s designs became synonymous with femininity, elegance, and class; often characterized by the presence of figure-flattering full skirts, sweetheart necklines, oversized ruffles, and lavish embelishments.

“I don’t really know how to do casual clothes,” he once told Women’s Wear Daily. He wasn’t kidding; season after season his designs scream feminine grandeur. Frequently, styles featured in his ready-to-wear shows more closely resemble those of couture collections, rather than other RTW lines gracing the runways of New York Fashion Week.

His collections often reveal inspiration drawn from his roots in Santo Domingo. As in his spring 2013 RTW show, in which several designs featured a colorful pallet of vivid yellow, bright pink, and parrot green.

Today, his creativity, attention to detail, and beautiful portrayal of the female body always earn his gowns a spot on the red carpets. Prominent stylist to the stars, Rachel Zoe, has outfitted some of her most notable clients, such as Ann Hathaway, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Alba, in the designer’s elegant creations on countless occasions.

Notable red carpet moments include Lea Michele’s beloved silver gown with plunging neckline from the designer’s 2011 Spring collection, that she wore to that year’s SAG Awards; as well as the strapless gold emeblished dress, donned by Cameron Diaz to the 2010 Oscars, both of which earned high praise from fashion critics.

With one of the longest running fashion careers of anyone in the industry, two terms as president of the CFDA under his belt, numerous awards recognizing his success, 30 American Vogue covers, and a lifetime achievement award from the Couture Council, Oscar de la Renta is certainly one of the most accomplished fashion designers of our time. His creations can be spotted on every red carpet event in Hollywood, as well as the covers of some of the world’s most prestigious fashion magazines. An icon and a legend, Oscar de la Renta can do no wrong.

Sources

“Oscar de la Renta.” The World of Fashion in Vogue: Voguepedia. Vogue Magazine. Web. 26 January 2014. http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Oscar_de_la_Renta