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 Tributes poured in for the tall, Dominican-born designer who
died late on Monday at the age of 82, surrounded by family at
his Connecticut home after a battle with cancer.
"He died exactly as he wished: with tremendous grace, great
dignity and very much on his own terms," his family said on his
website. "We are working on arrangements to celebrate his life."
Known for his classic, feminine creations, de la Renta dressed
first ladies, Republican and Democratic, including Jacqueline
Kennedy, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush and Hillary
Clinton, who wore a plum-colored de la Renta gown to her
daughter's wedding in 2010.
"His singular talent and exquisite taste elevated American
fashion, and his warmth and friendship will be missed by our
family and all whose lives he touched in his extraordinary
journey," Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a statement.
One of his most recent designs was the lace, off-the-shoulder
wedding gown he created for human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin
for her September wedding to actor George Clooney in Venice,
Italy.
Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and a close
friend, said he was equally happy dining with the rich and
famous as he was playing dominoes with his staff.
"His designs reflected his extraordinary personality -
optimistic, fun, sunny, romantic," she said on Vogue's website.
Wintour added that he had told her he had an amazing life and
was not afraid.
"This strength must have been with him in the hospital last week
when he made the decision to turn off treatment; it was not the
quality of life he wanted," she said.
Fashion designers and Hollywood stars expressed their sympathy.
"We lost a fashion icon," said Marc Jacobs, while Vera Wang
tweeted: "Oscar created a whole world of luxury, style and
elegance all his own."
Actress Tina Fey described de la Renta as a genius. "You know,
we've lost a brilliant artist and an elegant and lovely, kind
human being and his dresses and his work will live on forever, I
think," she told Reuters.
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Nancy Reagan praised him as a fashion legend.
"I admired him greatly as a kind, gracious individual with a
generous spirit who brought beauty and elegance to everything he
touched," she said in a statement.
De la Renta was born to a prominent family in the Dominican Republic
and studied art in Spain. He began his fashion career working
alongside Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga.
His designs, which included full and pencil skirts paired with
fitted jackets, dresses in pastel colors and floral prints and
elaborate evening gowns, exuded sophistication and elegance.
In 2012, de la Renta won The Fashion Institute of Technology Couture
Council Award for Artistry and took aim at celebrities, sports stars
and actresses who are delving into fashion design, for their lack of
formal training.
"I've been at it for 45 years, and I'm still learning my craft on a
daily basis," he said after winning the award.
Earlier this month, de la Renta appointed Nina Ricci's artistic
director, Peter Copping, as creative director of his company, which
has $140 million in estimated annual revenue. It is a new position
that he was to take up in early November.
Along with his creative talents, de la Renta was renowned for his
generosity.
"His legacy of philanthropy extended from children in his home
country who now have access to education and healthcare, to some of
New York’s finest artists whose creativity has been sustained
through his support," the Clintons said.
(Additional reporting by Reuters Television in Los Angeles; Editing
by Gunna Dickson and Jonathan Oatis)
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