De la Renta, the youngest of seven children and the only boy in his family,[1] was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother, Carmen María Antonia Fiallo and a Puerto Rican father,[2] Óscar Avelino De La Renta, owner of an insurance company. The Fiallos, De la Renta's mother's family, were embedded in Dominican society, and counted poets, scholars, businessmen, and top army brass among their members.[3] Their origin in the island can be traced back to the foundation of San Carlos de Tenerife in 1685 by Canarian settlers.[4]
A maternal uncle, Luis Arístides Fiallo Cabral, was a doctor, lawyer, and architect, who received every degree the University of Santo Domingo could offer.[5] Another maternal uncle, Fabio Fiallo, was a diplomat and poet.[5] On his father's side, De la Renta's great-great-grandfather José Ortíz de la Renta was the first mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, elected by popular vote and who had the distinction of serving as mayor eight times, the most ever for the city.[6]
At the age of 18, he went to study painting in Spain at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid.[1][7][9] For extra money, he drew clothes for newspapers and fashion houses.[1] After Francesca Lodge, the wife of John Davis Lodge, the U.S. Ambassador to Spain, saw some of his dress sketches, she commissioned de la Renta to design a gown for her daughter.[1] The dress appeared on the cover of Life magazine that fall.[9] He quickly became interested in the world of fashion design and began sketching for leading Spanish fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Spain's most renowned couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. He considered Cristóbal Balenciaga his mentor.[10] In 1961, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio del Castillo as a couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris.[11]
Career
1966 cocktail dress designed by de la Renta at Elizabeth ArdenOscar de la Renta label
In 1963, de la Renta turned to Diana Vreeland, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, for advice, saying that what he really wanted was to "get into ready to wear, because that's where the money is".[12] Vreeland replied, "Then go to Arden because you will make your reputation faster. She is not a designer, so she will promote you. At the other place, you will always be eclipsed by the name of Dior."[13] De la Renta proceeded to work for Arden for two years in New York City before he went to work for Jane Derby, an American fashion house.[14] When Derby died in August 1965, de la Renta took over the label.[15]
From 1993 to 2002, de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house.[16][17] In 2006, the Oscar de la Renta label diversified into bridal wear.[18]
De la Renta's designs have been worn by a diverse group of distinguished women and celebrities, including pop star Taylor Swift.[11] De la Renta's brand saw international wholesale growth beginning in 2003, under the direction of CEO Alex Bolen, from five to seventy-five locations.[19] De la Renta's designs are available in his retail stores, online, and with select wholesale partners worldwide.[20]
1966 beaded cellophane lace cocktail minidress
1977 embroidered taffeta evening ensemble
Late 1990s red brocade pantsuit
In 2014, the George W. Bush Presidential Center hosted an exhibit titled "Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style" which shared the designer's creations for Mrs. Bush and America's First Ladies.[citation needed]
Other enterprises
In 1977, de la Renta launched his fragrance, OSCAR,[21] followed by an accessories line in 2001[22] and a homewares line in 2002.[23] The new business venture included 100 home furnishings for Century Furniture featuring dining tables, upholstered chairs, and couches. In 2004, he added a less expensive line of clothing called O Oscar. De la Renta said he wanted to attract new customers whom he could not previously reach.[24]
In 2006, de la Renta designed Tortuga Bay, a boutique hotel at Puntacana Resort and Club. The hotel is part of the luxury hotel collection, The Leading Hotels of the World.[25]
Awards, honors, and philanthropic endeavors
Design awards
In 1967 and 1968, de la Renta won the Coty Award (the U.S. fashion industry "Oscars") and in 1973 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.[26]
From 1973 to 1976, and from 1986 to 1988, he served as President of the CFDA.[27] He is also a two-time winner of the American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973.[11]
In February 2014, Oscar 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 Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.[31]
Honors
In 1991, de la Renta was the recipient of the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[32] In 2014, de la Renta was the recipient of the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence.[33]
In 2017, de la Renta was honored by the United States Postal Service with an eleven stamp series, featuring a black and white photo of him and ten details from his fashion designs.[34]
Personal life
In 1966, de la Renta became the third husband of Françoise de Langlade (1921–1983),[35] an editor-in-chief of French Vogue who once worked for the fashion house of Elsa Schiaparelli. They were married until she died of cancer in 1983.[8] After her death, de la Renta adopted a boy from the Dominican Republic and named him Moisés.[8]
In 1990, the designer married Annette Engelhard (born 1939), daughter of Fritz Mannheimer and his wife Jane née Reiss, and adoptive daughter of her mother's second husband, Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. De la Renta had stepchildren from both marriages. His son-in-law Alex Bolen currently operates as chief executive officer, and stepdaughter Eliza Bolen serves as Vice President of Licensing at Oscar de la Renta, LLC.[36][37]
De la Renta was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.[38] A year later at the CFDA "Fashion Talks" event, Executive Director Fern Mallis called him "The Sultan of Suave". At that event, he spoke of his cancer, saying:
Yes, I had cancer. Right now, I am totally clean. The only realities in life are that you are born, and that you die. We always think we are going to live forever. The dying aspect we will never accept. The one thing about having this kind of warning is how you appreciate every single day of life.[39]
De la Renta died of complications from cancer on October 20, 2014, at his home in Kent, Connecticut, at the age of 82.[1][40]
^Mower, Sarah (2002). Oscar: The Style, Inspiration and Life of Oscar De La Renta. New York: Assouline. p. 11.
^Espinal Hernández, Edwin Rafael (1 November 2013). "Oscar de la Renta: entorno genealógico". Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: Hoy. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
^ abcdMower, Sarah (2002). Oscar: The Style, Inspiration and Life of Oscar De La Renta. New York: Assouline. p. 12.
^Mower, Sarah (2002). Oscar: The Style, Inspiration and Life of Oscar De La Renta. New York: Assouline.
