16 most important events in the biography of Oscar de la Renta

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

On July 22, the famous designer Oscar de la Renta celebrates his birthday. He turns 81 years old. In this regard, let us recall the most important events in his personal life and career.

Oscar had six sisters.

• Oscar de la Renta was born on July 22, 1932 in the Republic of the Dominican Republic. His mother was Dominican, and his father was from Puerto Rico. Oscar had six sisters, so great hopes were pinned on him as the only son.
• Despite the parents' dreams of a serious work for their son, Oscar was fond of painting and dreamed of becoming an artist. At the age of 18, he left his home in Madrid, where he entered the San Fernando Academy of Arts.

• To make a living, the young man began to draw sketches and sell them to various fashion magazines. His sketches gained popularity, and Oscar realized that he was more interested in fashion than painting. He began to study design craft.
• In 1960, his first success came to him. An acquaintance of his, the daughter of the American ambassador to Spain, asked Oscar to create an evening dress for her prom. The young designer not only made a sketch of the dress, but also sewed it himself. The outfit not only emphasized the figure of the girl, but also radically differed from the luxurious outfits that were customary at that time, and therefore got on the cover of Life magazine. After that, de la Renta's career took off.

• Soon Oscar was invited to work at the Balenciaga fashion house. The talented young man quickly became the most beloved student of Cristobal Balenciaga, who at that time was one of the most sought-after couturiers.
• In 1962, de la Renta went to Paris, where he began working in the fashion house Lanvin, as well as designing models for Christian Dior.

His very first collection received public recognition.

• In 1963, the designer decided to go to America. There, on the advice of the editor of Vogue magazine Diana Vreeland, Oscar got a job at Elizabeth Arden fashion house in New York, where he began to develop sketches for haute couture collections.
• Working for the company squeezed the designer's imagination, and then in 1965, with the support of Baron de Gunzburg, the designer opened his own fashion house, Oscar de la Renta. His very first collection received public recognition. His dresses won the hearts of royalty, first ladies and movie and show business stars.

In 1967, Oscar de la Renta married Françoise de Langlade. She was the editor-in-chief of the French Vogue magazine, had great connections and profitable acquaintances, which, of course, had a positive impact on the couturier's career. The couple were one of the most famous socialite couples of the time. However, in 1983, the designer became a widower. Françoise died of bone cancer

His son Moses opened his own clothing brand, Moi.

• The designer married a second time in 1989 to the American aristocrat Annette Reed.
• De la Renta has no children of his own, but two adopted and one adopted. His son Moses opened his own clothing brand, Moi, and his second wife's daughter, Eliza, now runs Oscar de la Renta with her husband.
• In 1967 and 1968, Oscar de la Renta received the highest award in the fashion world, the Coty Award, and in 1973 he was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.

• From 1973 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, de la Renta served as President of the Council of American Fashion Designers.
• In 1977, de la Renta launched his first perfume, Oscar. In 1991, he was recognized as the most successful fragrance of the decade, and after another 4 years, the fashion public called him a legend.

• In 1993, Oscar took up the revival of the Pierre Balmain fashion house.
• Today, in addition to collections of clothes and wedding dresses (which in themselves have become iconic among celebrity brides), the designer develops lines of accessories and cosmetics, and also does charity work.