In celebration of the life of legendary fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta (who passed away on October 20, 2014), this edition of Designer Spotlight focuses on the designer’s remarkable talents, exquisite collection, and celebrated life.
About Oscar de la Renta
Throughout the course of his illustrious career (which began in the 1950s in Spain, and has grown to become a $150 million per year business), Oscar de la Renta is best known for creating magnificent couture apparel, red carpet gowns, and elaborate designs, frequently worn by celebrities and socialites.
From lace and tulle to beading and embroidery, Oscar de la Renta dresses and gowns are truly spectacular works of art. Combining hefty doses of fantasy mixed with modern femininity, his apparel is known for being head-turning pieces, designed to stand the test of time.
For these reasons and more, everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Adams to Angelina Jolie and Oprah Winfrey have been photographed wearing his dreamy, intricately embellished gowns at red carpet events and galas.
One of the most recently publicized collaborations he did was designing the wedding gown for George Clooney’s bride, Amal Alamuddin, which was featured in an exclusive spread in a recent issue of People Magazine. For the highly anticipated wedding, Oscar de la Renta designed a custom-made lace wedding gown, featuring hand-embroidered pearls and diamanté detailing, accented by an off-the-shoulder neckline and a full circular train.
Inspired by everything he saw and experienced, Oscar de la Renta shared his insights about life at the 92Y “Fashion Talks” series in June 2013 as saying, “You have to appreciate every single day that you’re alive. Life is a little bit like a garden — you have to find time to plant the seeds for beautiful flowers to grow.”
In honor of Oscar de la Renta’s passing, former first lady Laura Bush was quoted by CNN as saying, “We will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful”.
[Image Credits: Oscar de la Renta FW14/15 Campaign]
