Legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, whose beautiful clothes defined US elegance for generations and were beloved by first ladies and Hollywood stars, died on Monday at the age of 82.
US media reported that the designer, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, passed away at his home in Kent, Connecticut, quoting family members.
Earlier this month, his luxury brand announced that British-born designer Peter Copping would take over as creative director, though he would work closely with De la Renta on designing the next collection.
Photo: Reuters
Schooled in the mastery of European couture, De la Renta worked until the end of his life, most recently designing the wedding dress for human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who wed Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney in Venice last month.
One of the world’s most eminent designers, his frocks were worn by US first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, to Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, as well as film stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker.
Tributes quickly poured in from friends, celebrities and younger designers who mourned the loss of one of the US’ most famed designers.
Bush said she and her husband, former US president George W Bush, were “deeply saddened” by De la Renta’s death, saying he had designed her and her twin daughters’ favorite clothes.
“We will miss Oscar’s generous and warm personality, his charm and his wonderful talents,” she said in a statement.
US singer Gloria Estefan said De la Renta was “a big part of 3 of my life’s biggest moments,” writing on Twitter: “Much love and peace 2 his family and all who loved him!”
Born on July 22, 1932, in the Dominican Republic, De la Renta left home to study in Madrid and work as an apprentice to Cristobal Balenciaga. In 1960, he moved to France to be an assistant at Lanvin in Paris, where he embedded himself in the world of haute couture, before moving to the US to work for Elizabeth Arden.
He created his eponymous label in 1965 and over the decades became one of the most lauded designers in New York. He created clothes of timeless elegance, regal glamor and sophistication beloved by generations of women.
In a career that spanned five decades, De la Renta saw his company grow into a multimillion-dollar empire that included ready to wear, fragrances, a home line and a bridal collection, which he launched in 2006. He was twice president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and honored with a string of awards.
He married twice, first in 1967 to Francoise de Langlade, an editor at French Vogue and in 1989, six years after her death, he married US publisher Annette Reed.
Popular and charming, De la Renta built close rapports with fellow designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano, whom he invited to spend time in his workshop after his career collapsed over an anti-Semitic rant.
“Everyone in life deserves a second chance,” he said at the time.
In an interview with New York Magazine last year, De la Renta looked back on the changes in the fashion world, saying: “It’s unbelievably extraordinary to remember that when I came to New York, it was a time when women couldn’t wear a pair of pants to a restaurant. What women have achieved in the last 50 years, I wish men would have achieved in the last 100. I’m sorry to say it, but we’re really stupid.”
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