11 Instances To Show Why Oscar De La Renta's Death Was A Huge Loss
We celebrate legendary couturier Oscar de la Renta, who has recently passed away at the age of 82.
By Samantha Khor — 21 Oct 2014, 11:30 AM — Updated almost 10 years ago
1. Mr. de la Renta first gained prominence in the 1960s when he was appointed as one of the couturiers to dress First Lady Jackie Kennedy, who is a style icon in her own right
Oscar became well-known for dressing Jackie Kennedy in the early 1960s
Image via The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images2. His creations would go on to become favourites of several First Ladies, including Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush.
De la Renta dressed Hillary Clinton (R) for the 1997 inaugural ball.
Image via Luke Frazza/AP/Getty Images
3. The esteemed fashion designer has had the honour of dressing generations of distinguished women and celebrities, including Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey accompanied De la Renta to the 2010 Met Gala, and looked incredible in a midnight blue creation.
Image via Getty Images4. De la Renta's remarkable and intricate evening gowns also make regular appearances on red carpets and awards shows, having being worn by A-listers such as Amy Adams, Taylor Swift, Cameron Diaz, and Katy Perry
Amy Adams wore a beautiful gown by the designer to the 2013 Academy Awards.
Image via Jeffrey Maver/WireImage
Katy Perry at the 2013 American Music Awards: Oscar de le Renta Spring 2013 sheer tulle gown with polka dots and immaculate embroidered flowers.
Image via Getty Images5. The Oscar de la Renta brand is so synonymous with high fashion that an entire episode of "Sex and the City" was dedicated to him, in which Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) wore one of his creations to the ballet with Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov)
A season six episode of Sex And The City was dedicated to De la Renta, with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) wearing one of his dresses.
Image via HBO6. The iconic fashion designer had garnered a number of accolades for his work, including winning the Coty awards (the US fashion industry's 'Oscars') and the American Fashion Critic's Awards
Designer Oscar de la Renta poses with his award at the 2012 Couture Council for the Museum at FIT Award for Artistry of Fashion to Oscar de la Renta at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on September 5, 2012 in New York City.
Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images North AmericaIn 1967 and 1968, de la Renta won the Coty Award (the US fashion industry 'Oscars') and in 1973 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. 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 American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973.
De la Renta's talents receive continual international recognition. Among them, he received the Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the Year Award in 2000 and in 2007 (tied with Proenza Schouler). In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award.[24] King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed de la Renta with two awards, the Gold Medal of Bellas Artes and the La Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil. He is recognized by the French government with the Légion d'honneur as a Commandeur.
7. Mr. de la Renta is widely adored by the fashion industry not only for his designs and friendliness, but also for his treatment and respect for women.
He was famously quote as saying, "We live in an era of globalization and the era of the woman. Never in the history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny."
latintimes.com
Oscar de la Renta (middle) with Karlie Kloss (left) and Daria Strokous (right).
Image via ODLR Facebook."Today, women have the power to make their own decisions," he told Gotham, "She doesn’t really care so much about whose dress she will wear; she cares about how she identifies with that dress, how that dress represents [how] she feels on a particular day."
8. Prior to his death, he was commissioned to design Amal Alamuddin's wedding dress for her marriage to actor George Clooney in September. Amal described the designer as "the man every woman wants to hug!"
Alamuddin at a final fitting, with Oscar de la Renta (right) and head tailor Raffaele Ilardo, in the designer’s New York studio. Oscar de la Renta ivory beaded-tulle dress with Chantilly-lace appliqué.
Image via Annie Leibovitz/Vogue“George and I wanted a wedding that was romantic and elegant, and I can’t imagine anyone more able than Oscar to capture this mood in a dress,” she says. “Meeting him made the design process all the more magical, as he is so warm and such a gentleman.”
vogue.com
9. Despite his achievements and high-profile, de la Renta remained humble and appreciated every moment of his life
"A huge mistake we make is forgetting that one day we will die. We think that we are going to live forever. I always say life is a little like a garden. There is a time to plant, then a time you have to weed. Just think about people you've deeply cared for. And then think of the people you wish you'd spent more time with," he told Gotham. "I always say this: Live, love and laugh."
go.com10. De la Renta recreated his entire Spring presentation, Designed for A Cure 2014 collection, to raise money for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
De la Renta's philanthropic endeavours also include having founded the Casa del Niño orphanage in La Romana, contributing to the construction of a school near his home at the Punta Cana Resort and Club in Punta Cana, as well as serving on the boards of several charitable institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the America's Society.
Oscar de la Renta speaks before his Designed for a Cure 2014 show.
Image via John Parra/Getty Images11. Sarah Jessica Parker, who is good friends with the designer, once convinced him to embroider his signature across the back of the dress she wore to the Met Gala in May 2014
Parker wore a De la Renta dress to the Met Gala in May, and showed his diversity as a designer with a dramatic retro gown
Image via dailymail.co.uk"Did you see his name on the back?" Parker asked during a chat with Vanity Fair. "I said to Mr. De la Renta, please let me use scarlet embroidery thread, and splash your name across the back. It was my idea. He would never in a million years have done it, he's far too modest."
eonline.com
World-famous fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, who is well-known for his timeless and elegant red carpet gowns and evening dresses, has passed away at the age of 82 on 20 October 2014
Born in Dominican Republic, Oscar de la Renta trained with Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo before launching his ready-to-wear label in 1965 in New York. The award-winning designer has also worked with Lanvin and Balmain.
usatoday.com
De la Renta was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, but he said in an interview last year with the International Business Times that he was "totally clean" of the disease and not at all interested in retirement.
eonline.com