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| Oscar de la Renta - 1932-2014 |
"He makes a woman look like a woman, feel like a woman, feel like a princess".
-Diane Von Furstenburg.
Yesterday, another era of American fashion ended with Oscar de la Renta passing away last night.
There are hundreds of articles about him today in all media around the world and I decided to post some of the most interesting bits and pieces about the designer.
The designer was also known for always speaking his mind, courting controversy in a world where most designers' interactions with the public are carefully PR-managed. When Michelle Obama wore a J.Crew cardigan to meet Queen Elizabeth in 2009, de la Renta told WWD, "You don't ... go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater." Two years later, he took the First Lady to task yet again for wearing Alexander McQueen to a Chinese state dinner. Again speaking to WWD, he said, "My understanding is that the visit was to promote American-Chinese trade — American products in China and Chinese products in America. Why do you wear European clothes?" - The Cut
He splashed onto the political scene with the silk boatneck dresses favored by then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Though Kennedy was often remembered as a fashion trailblazer, de la Renta’s role in creating her image—and that of American women in the swingin’ ‘60s—should not be ignored. The fitted bodices splaying out into full skirts kicked off a decade of iconoclastic rebellion in fashion while preserving a unique sense of American tradition within folds of taffeta. - The Atlantic
Throughout his life, he emanated a joie de vivre that made him seem as if he had it all. “If my life were to end now, I would have no regrets,” he said on his 40th birthday, as recounted in “The Fashion Makers,” a 1978 survey of U.S. designers. “I’ve lived every day to the fullest, and I’ve had a marvelous time. I’ve tried to be nice to the people I care about, and ignore the ones I don’t. I enjoy what I’ve done.” - The Washington Post
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