Iconic fashion designer passes away

By AMANDA MOTLEY

Renowned fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta, passed away on Monday, Oct. 20 at the age of 82. He passed at his home surrounded by family and friends.

According to the Associated Press, his career began in the 1960s and 70s when he began designing at a turning point in American fashion history. Staple concepts in his earliest fashion designs are still influencing fashion today.

From Michelle Obama to Sarah Jessica Parker to, most recently, Amal Clooney, de la Renta dressed all of the biggest stars. His clothes have been more in various television shows and red carpet events.

Parker compared de la Renta’s work to poetry in her series “Sex in the City.”

For de la Renta, his roots in fashion began at a young age. While studying abroad in Spain, the Dominican Republic native’s work was sought out by the Spanish ambassador’s wife. The dress that he made for their daughter ended up on the cover of Life magazine. Working with designers Cristobal Balenciaga and Elizabeth Arden led him to create his own collections. From there, the rest is history.

According to AP, as a patron of the arts, he served as a member of the board for Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Opera. De la Renta also spent time contributing to the children’s charity New Yorkers for Children.

News of his death was broken by his stepdaughter Eliza Reed Bolen and her husband Alex.

“While our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much with us. Oscar’s hard work, his intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company,” the hand-written statement said. “All that we have done, and all that we will do, is informed by his values and his spirit. Through Oscar’s example we know the way forward. We will make Oscar very proud of us by continuing in an even stronger way the work that Oscar loved so much.”

Many other celebrities made statements regarding De la Renta’s death, including Barbra Walters, who stated, “Oscar de la Renta was not just a creative and original artist he was also a great business man. He was most of all one of the wisest, kindest, and funniest friends you can have. All of us, who had the pleasure of knowing him, have aching hearts today. Our thoughts are with his beloved Annette.

De la Renta is also survived by his adopted son Moises, a designer at Oscar De la Renta.