The fashion community lost a legend this past Monday, October 20 when Oscar de la Renta, “passed away…at home in Connecticut surrounded by family, friends, and more than a few dogs. He died exactly as he lived: with tremendous grace, great dignity and very much on his own terms,” as stated in a note issued by his loving family.
Oscar, born in 1932 in Santo Domingo, quickly became a sensation known around the world after he began his journey in fashion. An award-winning designer, he worked for the likes of Lanvin and Balmain before starting his own highly successful house.
He became rightly well known in the sixties and began to blossom as a designer, defining the clothes and the women of his time. He dressed some of the most influential women in history all the way from Jackie Kennedy to Sarah Jessica Parker and his designs were featured in nearly every major fashion magazine published around the world. Friends and colleagues rave about his passionate spirit and his knack for going out of the way to make the people in his life feel special and loved.
He will be truly missed, and as long as there are runways to walk he will be remembered with strong minds and heavy hearts.
Oscar once said, “We live in the era of globalization and the era of women. Never in the history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny”. We thank you, Oscar, for helping us get here and dressing us along the way. Rest in peace and may your spirit live on through your beautiful clothing and the style you’ve inspired within us all.