The fashion world dresses in mourning to say goodbye to one of the great masters of the profession. Oscar de la Renta has passed away in Connecticut at the age of 82, a great loss to our Association of which he was an Honorary Member since 2008.
His noted relationship with Spain, where he moved with only 18 years to pursue his studies in painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, made him merit the award with which ACME distinguishes relevant personalities of the sector.
It was precisely during his Spanish stage when Oscar de la Renta awoke his interest towards design. Through his drawings for the relevant fashion houses of the time he came to work with Cristobal Balenciaga, whom he always considered his great teacher. From Madrid he moved to Paris to work at Lanvin under the orders of another Spaniard, Antonio del Castillo.
De la Renta was able to nurture the European values of Haute Couture to bring them to USA, where he founded his own firm in 1965 and became the designer of reference of the great ladies of American society.
During his over 50 years career, dedicated to dress women with exquisite elegance, his creations have filled the wardrobes of the leading ladies of the past decades. It should be emphasized the preference of the First Ladies of America for his designs, being the author of numerous pieces that have dressed Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. He was also one of the most coveted designers on the red carpet, signing unforgettable designs for actresses such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz.
His passion and broad knowledge of Spanish culture raised him as President of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in 2004, a position from which he repeatedly supported the work of this Association towards the internationalization of the design Made in Spain, accounting with his presence and aid in the promotional events of Spanish fashion in New York.
In the words of Modesto Lomba, President of ACME, “his enormous generosity and unblemished path have made him become one of the most admired figures in the profession, which today says goodbye with great sadness.” R.I.P.