Designer Oscar de la Renta Dies at 82

intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company. 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.

The Dominican born designer’s specialty was eveningwear, though he also was known for daytime suits.  Most recently, Amal Alamuddin wore a de la Renta designed wedding dress when she married George Clooney.

First lady Laura Bush wore an icy blue gown by de la Renta to the 2005 inaugural ball and Hillary Clinton wore a gold de la Renta gown in 1997. On the red carpet at the Academy Awards, Penelope Cruz and Sandra Bullock were among the celebrities to wear his gowns and most recently Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black and white gown with his famed signature to the 2014 Met Gala.

In 2004, he told AP that his Hispanic roots worked their way into his designs.

I like light, color, luminosity. I like things full of color and vibrant.

Gardening and dancing were among his favorite diversions from work.

I’m a very restless person. I’m always doing something. The creative process never stops.

In 2004, De la Renta gave up the title of chief executive of his company, handing over business duties to stepdaughter Eliza Reed Bolen and her husband, Alex Bolen, but he remained active on the design end, continuing to show his collections during New York Fashion Week.

De la Renta also is survived by an adopted son, Moises, a designer at the company.

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