Today the fashion industry morns the passing of a legend…..Oscar de la Renta……………I have known Oscar for almost 40 years, but I can’t honestly say I knew the man. We were both on the board of directors of the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America], and sat on many committees together, but we traveled in very different circles. He and his wife Annette were major players in New York society and politics, and he dressed many of the women who traveled in the same circles. He was always the gentleman and always impeccable…..even pictures that I have seen of him at his vacation home in the Caribbean… he was always dressed. I doubt he owned a pair of jeans……maybe he did. He was a very handsome tall man with a wonderful voice and a wonderful accent…………the ladies did swoon over him. He was a very private man and very close with his family. He had one adopted son and was step father to Annette’s children, all of whom are in and run his business. It was only two days ago that his successor was named, so they must have known the end was near. We, in the industry, all knew he had cancer, but after seeing how well he looked in the most recent pictures of him in the final fittings of George Clooney’s wife’s wedding dress, I was surprised when I heard the news. With his passing….his era of society designers has almost come to a close….There are many designers in NYC, but none who can fill his shoes….He was known for extravagance, opulence and splendid gowns…..His Latin heritage always came through……..I am glad that when I was a young designer I was able to experience the likes of Oscar and Bill Blass when they were at their height….Their kind just doesn’t exist anymore….anywhere………. it’s a very sad day.
Oscar de la Renta
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Think of the history, Louis. This is the man who dressed the “Ladies that Lunch”, group. Truman Capotes’ coffee klatch, if you will. The stories and secrets he knew.
Babe Paley, Diana Vreeland, he was born at exactly the right time in fashion history, and he knew it. Leaving Europe as a sketch artist, to arrive in New York right at the birth of Ready to Wear. Anyway, thanks for your memorial.
It will be interesting to see what Peter Copping brings to New York Fashion Week 2015 . . .Oscar was a very wise man & true visionary to the finale.
A sad day indeed.
By all accounts in the press and on the air, Oscar de la Renta was a true gentleman. In today’s coverage in the “Washington Post,” Mr. de la Renta mentioned that he tried to be kind to all the people he cared about. Elegant behavior that matched his elegant style of dress. The “Post” stated that he resided in Kent, Conn.
Love this quote included in today’s write-up:
Mr. de la Renta told The Washington Post in 2001: “When I started designing clothes for women in the ’60s, my typical customer got dressed in a suit and had lunch with friends. Today she’s on the list of endangered species.”
Times do change. Jenna Hager Bush spoke glowingly of him this morning on NBC. When her daughter was born, Mr. de la Renta (who designed Jenna’s wedding dress)sent three dresses for the baby girl, saying that she had to get off on the right foot.
Thank you, Louis, for your recollections.
Oops. Should have written “Jenna Bush Hager,” but I’m sure everyone knew where I was heading.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Louis. I agree it’s a sad day.
Among the various articles written about him this morning, I loved this particular quote.
“Never, ever confuse what happens on a runway with fashion,” Mr. de la Renta once said. “A runway is spectacle. It’s only fashion when a woman puts it on. Being well dressed hasn’t much to do with having good clothes. It’s a question of good balance and good common sense.”
Nancy (the Owl) that quote would make a great signature line.
I believe he resided on Long Island somewhere along our North Shore.