Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932 to a family of six sisters from a middle-class household. When he was 18 years old, he left the Caribbean island to pursue painting at the San Fernando Academy. While in Spain, he intended to be an abstract painter, but the world of fashion design wooed him instead. His remarkable drawing ability opened doors for him, and he was quickly accepted into an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga, Spain's most famous couturier. While on vacation in Paris in 1961, he was employed for his first important position at Lanvin-Castillo. After two years, he moved to New York and joined Elizabeth Arden's American design house. He founded his own distinct ready-to-wear company in 1965, which he still manages today.

De la Renta married Francoise de Langlade in 1967. She was the editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Francoise introduced her husband to some of the fashion industry's most important figures, and she invited many of the rich and famous to his exhibitions. His name immediately became associated with informal luxury, because to its delicate silk designs, ruffles, soft forms, and vibrant color palette. Women of wealth couldn't get enough of his sleek, romantic look, and he even provided a perfume to those who couldn't afford his gowns. He debuted his first fragrance in 1977.

De la Renta served as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 1973 to 1976, and then again from 1986 to 1988, and was well-liked by his colleagues.

Nationality: American, Dominican
Born: July 22, 1932
Died: October 20, 2014
Career: Designer of Lanvin and Balmain