*image via Fashion Gone Rogue
Yesterday morning, the world received the tragic news of the passing of fashion designer Oscar De La Renta. Whilst his name may not have been known in the wider world, the impact on the fashion community was surely felt with tributes coming in across the globe from those he dressed, worked with and were fortunate enough to call him a friend.
The dominican born designer is perhaps best know for his wonderfully dramatic and feminine collections, which were always firm favourites on the red carpet. A modern day Charles James, De La Renta had a legion of fans which includes actors, musicians, models and many of the First Ladies of the White House – including the equally legendary Jackie O.
For me what made his designs special were that they never pushed and pulled at the female form. They embraced it, swathed it in sumptuous fabric and enhanced it. A traditionalist in the most fantastical sense, De La Renta’s pieces were always cut from a fairly conservative cloth, but that certainly didn’t make them boring. If anything his designs invoked a sense of nostalgia every time they premiered on the runway and were laced with tulle, embellishments and delicately patterned often with floral motifs.
Each design a work of art in it’s own right and DeLa Renta will be remembered best for his artful and dramatic approach to fashion.
RIP good sir.
R.xoxo
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