Fashion souls will be mourning the following weeks as world-famous designer Oscar de la Renta dies at eighty-two years of age.
The dominican designer, who became famous for making high-class and exquisite gowns for celebrities has died on Monday at his house is Kent, Conn.
De la Renta, who was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had a career that began in the year of nineteen-fifties in Franco's, Spain. Oscar was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. His name became known globally when he became one of the former first lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy's couturiers. The well-respected designer has also worked for Lanvin and Balmain.
According to The New York Times:
"His death was confirmed by his wife, Annette de la Renta. The cause was complications of cancer.
Though ill with cancer intermittently for close to eight years, Mr. de la Renta was resilient. During that period his business grew by 50 percent, to $150 million in sales, as his name became linked to celebrity events like the Oscars. Amy Adams, Sarah Jessica Parker and Penélope Cruz were among the actresses who wore his dresses."
"Many high-end designers had bigger businesses. Some were more original. But very few were fearless enough to adapt to a cultural shift. Mr. de la Renta did it twice in his career, the first time in 1980.
Normally he didn't dwell on the subject of his legacy. In an interview in 2009, at his home in Punta Cana, in his native Dominican Republic, he said of fashion: 'It's never been heavy. Somebody might ask, 'What is Oscar de la Renta?' And you could say, 'It's a pretty dress.'
Instead he preferred to joke, or talk about his vegetable garden in Kent, or dish the dirt. He rarely shied from controversy or calling someone out."
Fans, clients, and friends have since expressed their grief following the designer's death.
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