Oscar de la Renta, a renowned American fashion designer famed
for his glamorous red-carpet gowns and smart suits for ladies who
lunch, died Monday evening at the age of 82, a spokeswoman for his
fashion house confirmed.
Mr. de la Renta died just a few weeks after he named a new
designer to replace him at his eponymous brand.
Possibly the U.S.'s most noted fashion designer, Mr. de la Renta
managed to stay relevant for more than six decades. Even in his
final days, he was the go-to designer for celebrity brides and
socialites who flocked to his rich, ever-feminine designs, which
radiated wealth and power. He dressed Amal Alamuddin in September
for her wedding to George Clooney.
First lady Michelle Obama recently wore one of his dresses,
after having seemed to snub him for years. Mr. de la Renta,
designer of countless looks for previous first ladies from Betty
Ford to Laura Bush, had openly chafed at the seeming oversight,
which caused speculation that Mrs. Obama preferred emerging
designers.
The response to the designer's death in the fashion industry was
immediate, as he had served as a father to American fashion. The
Savannah College of Art and Design said it would fly flags at
half-staff, according to a spokesman.
During Paris Fashion Week in September, the house of de la Renta
announced that Peter Copping, designer of Nina Ricci, will take the
design reins.
Mr. de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic, then got his
start in the 1950s as an assistant to Spanish designer Cristóbal
Balenciaga. Mr. Balenciaga was noted for his daring approach to
volume, which certainly trained Mr. de la Renta's eye for
proportion. But the American designer--who later designed for
Lanvin and Balmain--kept versatility as his mark. He designed for
every era's jet set in his lifetime--from Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis, Babe Paley and Zsa Zsa Gabor, to Beyoncé, Sarah Jessica
Parker and Penélope Cruz.
His collections in recent years flew from florals to geometric
prints, and from voluminous gowns to body-conscious day looks and
suits suitable for chairwomen of the board--as though he was
suggesting that there was no design feat he couldn't
accomplish.
Ever-tanned, he began as a modernist, but in recent years
sometimes struggled to include designs to appeal to young women
while catering to his well-heeled, but elder clientele.
His outsize influence on high-amp fashion came to a head in 2006
when four attendees at the Kennedy Center Honors arrived for a
White House reception in the same red, $8,500 Oscar de la Renta
dress, including then-first lady Laura Bush. Mrs. Bush went
upstairs and changed.
Elizabeth Holmes contributed to this article.
Write to Christina Binkley at christina.binkley@wsj.com
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