Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta left his native Dominican Republic at the age of 18 to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. While living in Spain, he became interested in the world of design and began sketching for leading Spanish fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Spain’s most renowned couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. Later, he left Spain to join Antonio Castillo as a couture assistant at the house of Lanvin in Paris.
In 1963, he came to New York to design the couture collection for Elizabeth Arden, and in 1965, de la Renta debuted his signature ready-to-wear label. Today the company also produces a bridal collection, a beauty line, a home collection, childrenswear and a complete range of accessories, including handbags, shoes and jewelry. In 2008, Oscar de la Renta opened its first international stores in Athens and Madrid, and has continued its expansion with the opening of stores in Dubai (2009), Tortuga Bay and Riyadh (2012), and London (2013). In August 2013, the house completed an expansion of its New York City boutique, doubling its space on Madison Avenue.
He twice served as the the president of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), and was the recipient of the council’s Womenswear Designer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Founders awards.
De la Renta received two honors from King Juan Carlos of Spain, La Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil and the Gold Medal of Bellas Artes. He was also awarded the French Legion d’Honneur as Commandeur.
A tireless patron of the arts, de la Renta served on the Boards of Trustees of Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, New Yorkers for Children, the Americas Society, and was chairman of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute. He served as Chairman of Oscar de la Renta, LLC, the luxury goods firm he founded in 1965, and also as Chairman of Grupo Punta Cana, a hospitality and real estate company in the Dominican Republic. De la Renta was a dual citizen of the United States and the Dominican Republic, where he served as Ambassador-at-Large.