Oscar de la Renta

Early years[edit]
De la Renta, the youngest of seven children and the only boy in his family, [1] was born
in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother, Carmen Mara Antonia
Fiallo, and a Puerto Rican father,[2] scar Avelino De La Renta, owner of
an insurancecompany. The Fiallos, De la Renta's mother's family, were so embedded in
Dominican society that they could count poets, scholars, and businessmen, as well as top
army brass among their members.[3] Their origin in the island can be traced back to the
foundation of San Carlos de Tenerife in 1685 by Canarian settlers.[4]
A maternal uncle, Luis Arstides Fiallo Cabral, was a doctor, lawyer, and architect, who
received every degree the University of Santo Domingo could offer.[5] Another maternal
uncle, Fabio Fiallo, was a diplomat and poet.[5] On his father's side, De la Renta's greatgreat grandfather Jos Ortz de la Renta, was the first mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico elected
by popular vote.[6] He had the distinction of serving as mayor eight times, the most ever
18121814, 18151816, 18201821, 18231826, 18371838, 18421843, and 18431844,
and in 1846.[6]
De la Renta was raised Catholic in a protective family.[7][8] His mother died from
complications of multiple sclerosis when he was 18.[7]
At the age of 18, he went to study painting in Spain at the Academy of San
Fernando in Madrid.[1][7][9] For extra money, he drew clothes for newspapers and fashion
houses.[1] After Francesca Lodge, the wife of John Davis Lodge, the U.S. Ambassador to
Spain, saw some of his dress sketches, she commissioned de la Renta to design a gown for
her daughter.[1] The dress appeared on the cover of Life magazine that fall.[9] He quickly
became interested in the world of fashion design and began sketching for leading Spanish
fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Spain's most renowned
couturier, Cristbal Balenciaga. He considered Cristbal Balenciaga his mentor.[10] In 1961,
de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio del Castillo as a couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris.
[11]

Career[edit]
In 1963, de la Renta turned to Diana Vreeland, the editor-in-chief of Vogue for advice,
saying that what he really wanted was to "get into ready to wear, because that's where the
money is".[12] 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."[13] De la Renta proceeded to work for Arden for two
years in New York City before he went to work for Jane Derby, an American fashion house.
[14] When Derby died in August 1965, de la Renta took over the label. [15]
From 1993 to 2002, de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house
of Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house.[16][17] In
2006, the Oscar de la Renta label diversified into bridal wear. [18]
De la Renta's designs have been worn by a diverse group of distinguished women and
celebrities.[11] De la Renta's brand saw international wholesale growth beginning in 2003,
under the direction of CEO Alex Bolen, from five to seventy-five locations. [19] De la Renta's

ready-to-wear designs are available in his retail stores, online, and with select wholesale
partners worldwide.[20]
In 2014, the George W. Bush Presidential Center hosted an exhibit entitled "Oscar de la
Renta: Five Decades of Style" which shared the designer's creations for Mrs. Bush and
America's First Ladies.