Óscar Arístides De La Renta Fiallo (De La Renta) was born in beautiful Dominican Republic on July 22, 1932. Sadly, 82 years later, the fashion world lost one of the most prolific and avant-garde designers of the 21st century.
His family was well known in elite social circles due to their insurance family business. It’s not commonly known that De La Renta’s childhood passion was painting, having been taught by his mother, the best possible teacher, his father was not thrilled about it, however. After a normal and happy childhood, his family forced him to leave his beloved Santo Domingo at the young age of 18 and sent him to Madrid, Spain with the aim to study painting in the prestigious Spanish art school Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Living in Spain was a remarkable time for the young designer because it was then that he discovered his interest in the world of fashion, something that had not been considered until then.
However, not everything in his life was wonderful, after a while his father stopped sending him money because he was not joining the family business, which forced De La Renta to get a job for the first time in his life. He began drawing sketches that he sold to all the fashion magazines in the city. It wasn’t long before his talent was noticed by world-renowned designer Cristobal Balenciaga, who hired De La Renta as an apprentice in this atelier, turning him into one of his best students with seemingly astounding capabilities.
In 1961, international designer Antonio Castillo decided to hire De La Renta to work in Paris, the City of Lights. Shortly after having moved to Paris he went to work with Elizabeth Arden.
Things went incredibly well for him. His intellect and talent continued to flourish exponentially, so much so, that in 1965 he accomplished his dream of establishing his own fashion house, thus building his own empire.
Oscar De La Renta knew how to use the glamour of his creations and make an international name for himself among the greatest fashion brands of that era. He became a global success and his boutiques were popping up world-wide, a total Sensation!
Decades later, in 1993 he became the first Latin American to design for a French House, the prestigious firm Pierre Balmain.
It is well known that Pierre Balmain and Oscar De La Renta became close friends in the ‘60s, after they met in Paris. They were considered “Houte Couture Ambassadors.” However, it was in 1992, after the death of Pierre Balmain that De La Renta became the main designer for the French House.
De La Renta launched his first collection using corset and wide skirt suits in the traditional French style and that earned him the applause and admiration that the Fashion House had been missing.
The Balmain House is known for sparkles in dresses, shiny Chinese applications, and tight silhouettes, but there was a time when the French Fashion House shined for their classy simplicity... this was the time under the creative direction of Oscar De La Renta!
He dressed every celebrity worldwide and every First Lady in the USA. His successful and global career was supported by several awards and important positions since he was elected twice President of the Council Designers of America, owning the Aguja de Oro Award in Spain, the Living Legend Award, the American Coty Fashion Critics Award, as well as the Coty Hall of Fame Award, just to name a few.
In 1977 he launched “Oscar,” his first fragrance for women. But he didn’t stop there, he dedicated himself to create perfumes for men as well. For example, “Lui” fragrance was released in 1980 and the super famous “Oscar” for men was launched in the late 1990s, followed by “Volupt,” and “So,” were as acclaimed and accepted by the public as his first essence.
I can continue to write for hours about this true Latin talent who paved the way for other Latin American designers but, I believe the best way to honor Oscar de la Renta is to showcase these Charlotte NC philanthropists who are dedicated to supporting the arts, just as he did himself.
Donna DeMolina
How did you meet Oscar de la Renta?
My husband and I were invited to the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute Gold Medal Gala in November 2007. Our dear friend Carmen Hilton, who is a native of Spain, introduced us to this annual event which took place at the Spanish Institute on Park Avenue in New York City. At the time, my husband was the CEO of GMAC, and he too is of of Spanish descent, so it was quite a pleasure to support this non-profit organization which aims to celebrate the close ties between Americans and Spanish speakers all over the world.
Oscar de la Renta was the Chairman of the Institute at the time and the host of the gala. I had the opportunity to briefly meet with him and thought he was most gracious and debonair. The Gold Medal was awarded to President Bill Clinton and Penelope Cruz in recognition of their contributions to the betterment of relations between the United States and the Spanish Speaking World. I will never forget the gorgeous gown Penelope was wearing that evening designed by none other than Oscar himself. She looked so stunning and confident in the style he created for her. (See photos below…the last close up pic may possibly be the back of my head!!)
Since our culture is beginning to change before our eyes, why is it important to keep Oscar’s fashion alive?
It is clear to me that Oscar de la Renta was inspired by authentic beauty. He recognized and celebrated women’s achievements. If he were alive today he would be creating great fashion that would continue to celebrate the beauty and confidence of today’s woman. His creations would continue to appeal to our senses and bolster our self-confidence, while being deeply respectful of a woman place in society. As Oscar de la Renta once said, “We live in an era of globalization and the era of the woman. Never in history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny.”
May his brilliant vision and style live on forever.
Hillary Cooper
Chief Advancement Officer for the Mint Museum of the South
Luis- What was it like meeting Oscar?
Hillary- Meeting Oscar de la Renta was a dream come true. Oscar was the epitome of elegance, grace, kindness, and all things beautiful. He was charming, generous, talented, and full of life. It was an honor and privilege to have met him and a highlight of my career with The Mint Museum. He made everyone feel special which is why he was so admired and beloved. I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with such a legend and will never forget his magical visit to Charlotte.
Luis- How did The Mint Museum and city of Charlotte benefit from the exhibition – The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta?
Hillary- Our fashion exhibitions are always hugely popular with our community and beyond. The Oscar show attracted thousands and thousands of members and visitors from across the region. The exhibition was so well received that we were fortunate enough to be able to extend it for an extra month due to high demand. Oscar’s first visit to the Mint, in the spring of 2011, served as the catalyst for the Museum being one of only 3 venues in the country to present The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta in 2018. Beloved Mint supporter, the late Marianna Sheridan, co-chaired Oscar’s first fashion show The Art of Style in 2011 in the then newly opened Mint Museum Uptown. Marianna’s genuine love for Oscar, fashion, and the Mint wondrously intersected in her transformative role as Oscar de la Renta’s first archivist. The incredible archive she established became the cornerstone of the House of Oscar’s exhibition program The exhibition, curated by fashion icon Andre Leon Talley, also resulted in a strong relationship between Talley and the Mint. He has continued to be an advocate and champion for fashion at the museum. The exhibition, sponsored nationally by Wells Fargo Private Bank, helped highlight and enhance the Mint’s commitment to fashion and reinforced Charlotte’s image as a fashion-forward, sophisticated, and stylish city. It was the ultimate “win-win” for the Mint and Charlotte.
Arlene Ferebee
Chair of Opera Carolina Board
Luis- Just like Oscar, you support the Arts and the community leaders that support the Arts...what do you think is necessary to do in order to preserve our beloved Opera?
Thriving beyond the pandemic will require Opera Carolina to leverage everything we learned during the pandemic. Over the last year, our company closely examined every aspect of how we conduct business and cleverly re-imagined new forums to deliver our programming. We created some wonderful, smaller-scaled pop-up and outdoor events to keep performances going and re-engage with live music. Internet performances through our iStream series have helped us expand our reach, and now we’ve launched our new Virtual Opera House to showcase our works and talented resident artists. I am especially proud of the work we have been able to evolve through our Voices Engaged civic engagement platform.
Going forward, it will take that same level of ingenuity and inspired thinking to cultivate new partnerships and collaborations which ensure our 73-year-old opera company remains relevant. Opera and the classical arts must be responsive to the important social changes that are taking place. Striking the right balance between traditional and innovative works will be key to maintaining our core base while we further efforts to attract new, more diverse, and younger audiences.
Midge Barron
Charlote Ballet Advisory Board member
Luis- What is the thing that you admire most about Oscar de la Renta?
Oscar De La Renta lived his life in the spirit of philanthropy and he loved making women feel beautiful! Giving back to the world around him enriched not only his life but his artistic creations as well.
In 2014, Oscar de la Renta sent his Spring Collection of gowns to the ballet dancers and participants of the Inaugural Year of Charlotte Ballet's DWTS of Charlotte Gala. This gift made fashion headlines in Charlotte and the DWTS event has been a huge success ever since.
