Oscar De La Renta
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Oscar de la Renta (born July 22, 1932) is a fashion designer who is considered by fashion critics to be one of the most influential fashion creators of the 20th century.
Oscar de la Renta, left his native Dominican Republic at age 18 to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. While living in Spain, he became interested in the world of design and began sketching for leading Spanish fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Spain's most renowned couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. Later, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio Castillo as a couture assistant at the house of Lanvin in Paris. In 1963, he came to New York to design the couture collection for Elizabeth Arden. He was one of the three famous protégé of Baron de Gunzburg, the others being Bill Blass and Calvin Klein. In 1965, de la Renta began his signature ready-to-wear label.
In 2001, Oscar de la Renta debuted his accessory collection, which includes bags, belts and shoes. Other products of the company include cosmetic cases, eyewear, fragrances, furs, jewelry, scarves and sleepwear. For men, his licensed products including hosiery, sport coats, suits, and trousers. In South and Central America and Mexico there is a Sportswear line for men and boys and Oscar Jeans for men and women which is distributed through free standing stores. In 2002, Oscar de la Renta Home debuted a furniture collection and home frangrance collection. Since then tabletop, decorative fabrics, wallpaper, bedding, rugs and decorative accents have been added to the collection.
De la Renta's talents receive continual international recognition. Amoung them, he received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2000. In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. From 1973 to 1976, and from 1986 to 1988, he served as President of the CFDA. He is also a two-time winner of the Coty American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1993 to 2002, Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Pierre Balmain becoming the first American ever to design for a French couture house. He has been awared the French Legion d'Honneur as a Commandeur. In 2000, he received the Gold Medal of Ballas Artes from the King of Spain. Dominican Republic has also honored him as on of its most distinguished citizens with the order al Mérito de Juan Pablo Duarte and the order of Cristóbal Colón. De la Renta also helped to build a much needed school and day-care center in the Dominican Republic.
In 1967, he became the third husband of Françoise de Langlade (1931–1983), an editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Born in Bordeaux and raised between Paris and the island of Martinique, she worked for the fashion house of Elsa Schiaparelli and the fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar before joining French Vogue. After her marriage to de la Renta, she worked as a consultant to Elizabeth Arden, had their Manhattan apartment decorated by Denning & Fourcade and later opened her own decorating business.
In 1989, the designer married Anne Engelhard, the former wife of Samuel Pryor Reed.
De la Renta has stepchildren from both marriages; he also has an adopted son, Moises de la Renta.
In 1980, de la Renta donated his time for two years as the primary designer of a complete new set of uniforms for the Boy Scouts of America. This set of uniforms lasted well into the 21st century.
De la Renta serves as a board member of the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Channel Thirteen/WNET. He also serves on the boards of important institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the Americans Society and is presently chairman of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute
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