On October 20, 2014, news broke that fashion designer Oscar de la Renta had passed away at the age of 82. For someone who isn’t immediately focused on fashion or accustomed to keeping his or her finger on the pulse of news in the industry, like me, it was easy to brush this latest celebrity passing under the rug. However, I quickly came to realize that de la Renta’s designs were what my elementary school princess dreams were made of. De la Renta was responsible for creating some of the most beautiful and iconic dresses in history and they could make anyone look like and feel like a princess. Here are just a few designs that have defined his legacy:
Oscar de la Renta’s first design
Taylor Swift wearing a gorgeous de la Renta for the Met Gala
Lupita Nyong’o in a de la Renta creation for the 2014 White House Correspondents’ Associations Dinner
Sarah Jessica Parker wearing a de la Renta dress as Carrie Bradshaw for Sex in the City
De la Renta’s life story is just as awe-inspiring as his red carpet creations. He was born in the Dominican Republic and left his native country at the age of 19 to pursue his love of fashion in Madrid, Spain. To make extra money while in school, de la Renta made sketches for fashion houses and newspapers until he was commissioned to make a design for one of the United States ambassadors to Spain’s family members. After working for a well-known fashion house in Spain, de la Renta took yet another risk and moved to France, where he worked for Antonio del Castillo and attended fashion school again until 1963. When de la Renta moved the to the United States, his career continued to flourish. In 1993, he became one of the first American designers to premier in Paris since 1940!
More importantly than his success, de la Renta also had a unique ability to change according to the times and consistently kept the style of each individual woman, from First Ladies to brides, at the forefront of his designs. De la Renta will always be remembered for the beauty of his iconic designs and his passion for his work.
Photo Sources:
http://www.mtv.com/news/1970300/oscar-de-la-renta-red-carpet-looks/
http://www.chicagonow.com/ndigo-chit-chat-all-that/2014/10/oscar-de-la-renta/#image/1
http://www.vogue.com/3299349/sarah-mower-remembers-oscar-de-la-renta-early-years/