There has always been something special about Oscar — Oscar de la Renta, that is. The legendary Dominican-born American designer’s contributions may be less discussed today than they should be. For those who knew him well, as Women’s Wear Daily did, he was simply Oscar. WWD met him in 1963, when he arrived in New York as a Paris-trained transplant to lead beauty magnate Elizabeth Arden’s custom atelier. The 60-piece collection he presented — WWD got the exclusive — assisted his rise as a designer to watch. Two years later, he established his namesake label, setting in motion a global fashion powerhouse that would flourish for 49 years, and counting.
Oscar de la Renta for Elizabeth Arden Atelier, 1963. Drawings Annellese, Photos Tony Palmieri/Fairchild Archive
Early career connections, including apprenticeships with two of Spain’s most noted couturiers, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo, helped set him apart but Oscar clearly had a vision of his own. His role in the 1973 “Battle of Versailles” helped make him a household name, while his 1992 appointment as couturier for the House of Balmain — the first American to lead a Paris house — further cemented his stature.
Oscar de la Renta spring 1986 and Oscar de la Renta for Balmain fall 1997 couture. Harry Morrison and Tony Palmieri, Fairchild Archive/WWD
It wasn’t long before everyone from the social set to first ladies wanted a place on Oscar’s fashion calendar. He often said that “fashion was like a love affair,” something embodied at the core of his many runway collections that often celebrated the spirit and essence of his Dominican heritage. When WWD wrote the designer’s 2014 obituary, it’s easy to understand why its editors bestowed him the title “An American Master” to encapsulate his iconic career.
Oscar de la Renta at the Met Gala, 2010 with and worn by Oprah Winfrey and in 2014 worn by Taylor Swift. Kristen Somody Whalen and Evan Folk/WWD
“A new job…a new country…the stimulation of it all is overwhelming…but it will all happily fall into place with time,” Oscar de la Renta told WWD in 1963. And luckily for fashion it did. To celebrate his 94th birthday this year we went back into the Fairchild Archives to revisit Oscar de la Renta’s enduring legacy in fashion from the runway to the red carpet.
