Design byte
Oscar de la Renta
"I always think the best way to dress is when the person notices you first and the
dress after." -- Oscar de la Renta, In Business Windsor.
His name has been on everything from perfumes to Barbie dolls to fine china. His diverse talent sparked the trend-setting gypsy and Russian styles of the '70s and proved presidentially appropriate when he dressed a newly chic Hillary Clinton's for the December '98 Vogue magazine cover.
Although he's famous for his opulent eveningwear and lavish coats, de la Renta's collections are popular with both youthful socialites and celebrities, as well as chic ladies who lunch. Find out more about this designing icon whose career spans 50 years.
Vital stats:
CFDA Designer of the year 2000
Known for: Feminine, luxurious designs, especially evening wear. Known
for using lots of color
Age: 70
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Started in the business: 1949; started his own line in 1967
Education: National School of Art, Santo Domingo; Academy of San
Fernando, Madrid
What you might not know about
him:
-He was the first American to design for a French couture house (Pierre Balmain, 1993)
-He launched a plus-size line called Oscar in 1999
-He helped build a school and day care center for children in the Dominican Republic.
-He's an avid gardener.
The woman he designs for: "I design clothes for women who want to buy them." In Business Windsor
Notable quote:"Women think black is the most flattering color, but they're wrong. Pink adds a cosmetic-like radiance and warmth. Black drains the skin of color; pink delights the eye." -- Ladies Home Journal
Celebrities clients
Hilary Clinton, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Barbara Walters, Sarah Jessica Parker
Trademark looks:
- Rich, spicy colors like deep red.
- Exotic flourishes like embroidery, fringes or sequins.
- Ruffles
- Fur
- Tactile interest: nubby sweaters, silks, rouching, lace
