Women's shoes > Top brands > Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta (born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo) was born in Santiago de los Caballeros in Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father. At the age of 18 he left the Dominican Republic to study in 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 Lanvin in Paris.
In 1963, torn between designing custom clothing for Elizabeth Arden, shoes and accessories 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.
De la Renta's talents receive continual international recognition. Among them, he received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2000 and in 2007 (tied with Proenza Schouler). In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. From 1973 to 1976, and from 1986 to 1988, he served as President of the CFDA. He is also a two-time winner of the American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973. In 1993 to 2002, Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Pierre Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house.
The Dominican Republic has also honored him with the order al Mérito de Juan Pablo Duarte and the Order of Cristóbal Colón. De la Renta has contributed extensively in the construction of a much needed school near his home in Punta Cana.
De la Renta serves as a board member of the Metropolitan Opera, New York Opera House, Carnegie Hall, and Channel Thirteen/WNET. He also serves on the boards of several charitable institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the America's Society and is presently chairman of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.
His clothes were worn by many celebrities, including former president Bush's daughter Jenna, and others.
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