OSCAR DE LA RENTA
Name: Oscar de la Renta
Born: July 22, 1932 Dominican Republic
Oscar de la Renta (born July 22, 1932) is a leading fashion designer.
De la Renta (born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo) was born in the Dominican
Republic to Dominican mother and a Spanish father. At the age of 18, he moved
to Spain, where he studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. He
quickly changed his focus to fashion. 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, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio
Castillo as a couture assistant at the Lanvin in Paris.
In 1963, torn between designing custom clothing for Elizabeth Arden, shoes and
accessories for Brittany Rosano and designing ready-to-wear for Christian Dior-New
York, de la Renta turned for advice to Diana Vreeland, the Editor-in-Chief of
Vogue, saying that what he really wanted was to "get into ready to wear, because
that's where the money is". Vreeland replied, "Then go to Arden because you will
make your reputation faster. She is not a designer, so she will promote you. At
the other place, you will always be eclipsed by the name of Dior." De la
Renta proceeded to work for Arden for two years before launching his own label.
He was one of the three major protégés of Baron de Gunzburg, the others were
Bill Blass and Calvin Klein.
Name: Oscar de la Renta
Born: July 22, 1932 Dominican Republic
Oscar de la Renta (born July 22, 1932) is a leading fashion designer.
De la Renta (born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo) was born in the Dominican
Republic to Dominican mother and a Spanish father. At the age of 18, he moved
to Spain, where he studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. He
quickly changed his focus to fashion. 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, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio
Castillo as a couture assistant at the Lanvin in Paris.
In 1963, torn between designing custom clothing for Elizabeth Arden, shoes and
accessories for Brittany Rosano and designing ready-to-wear for Christian Dior-New
York, de la Renta turned for advice to Diana Vreeland, the Editor-in-Chief of
Vogue, saying that what he really wanted was to "get into ready to wear, because
that's where the money is". Vreeland replied, "Then go to Arden because you will
make your reputation faster. She is not a designer, so she will promote you. At
the other place, you will always be eclipsed by the name of Dior." De la
Renta proceeded to work for Arden for two years before launching his own label.
He was one of the three major protégés of Baron de Gunzburg, the others were
Bill Blass and Calvin Klein.