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Oscar De La Renta
Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo (22 July 1932 – 20 October 2014), known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican American worldwide fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic. He died October 20,2014 at age 82 Kent, Connectuit.

he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta became internationally known in the 1960s as one of the couturiers who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy. He worked for Lanvin and Balmain. His eponymous fashion house has boutiques around the world including in Harrods of London and Madison Avenue in New York. Oscar De la Renta’s designs show

Early Life/Education
De la Renta, the youngest of seven sisters and the only boy in his family, was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother, Carmen María Antonia Fiallo, and a Puerto Rican father. De la Renta was raised Catholic in a protective family. At the age of 18, he went to study painting in Spain at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. For extra money, he drew clothes for newspapers and fashion houses. 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. The dress appeared on the cover of Life magazine that fall. 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, Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1950. He considered Cristóbal Balenciaga his mentor. In 1961, de la Renta left Spain and moved to Paris to join Antonio del Castillo as a couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris. Continuing with sketching, his other skills were being perfected while he was immersed in the extravagant, lavish world of haute couture.

The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid. After launching his eponymous line in 1965, the designer developed successful bridal, fragrance and homeware collections that established his reputation as one of the most successful and respected designers in the industry, with his exquisite designs having been worn by everyone from Jacqueline Kennedy, to modern starlets such as Gisele Bundchen, Ann Hathaway and Liv Tyler. Well-known for his charitable nature, his commitment to helping the inhabitants of his birthplace can be seen in the foundations of La Casa del Niño, the orphanage and school that he built for the children of La Romana. Caring for 1,200 children on a daily basis, it provides schooling and day-care for newborns and children so their mothers can work

After years gaining experience from some of the world’s greatest couturiers, De la Renta established his own house in 1965. Combining his Latin American passion for colour with his couture trained eye for luxurious fabrics and embellishments the label was instantly successful with both media and retailers.

In 1967 and 1968 De la Renta received the Coty American Fashion Critic’s Award. Five years later De la Renta earned a place in the Coty Hall of Fame.

For the next three years De la Renta served as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. While in office he created the CFDA Awards.

De la Renta launched his first fragrance in 1977 named ‘OSCAR’.

In 1982 De la Renta showed his charitable side by building La Casa del Nino, an orphanage and school for Romanian orphaned children.

De la Renta received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. The following year with annual sales of $350 million, De la Renta showed his collection for the first time attempting to broaden his client base. It also marked the first time a Latin American designer had shown in Paris.

In 1993, De la Renta was appointed head couturier at Pierre Balmain in Paris where he set about to revive the label. He became the first Latin American to design for a French couture house.

In 2001 an accessories line was added to the De la Renta  portfolio. The following year a home range was launched. 2002 also marked the end of De la Renta’s successful time working at Balmain.

The company launched their retail division in 2004 starting with the opening of the first freestanding store. Two years later a Bridal collection launched and in 2008 further retail stores opened globally.

Oscar De la Renta’s designs show the influences of his years spent in haute couture in Paris. His beautifully embellished designs feature a passion for colour and emphasise the importance of detail.

Awards/Honors/Acheivments
In 1967 and 1968, de la Renta won the Coty Award (the U.S. fashion industry "Oscars") and in 1973 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.

From 1973 to 1976, and from 1986 to 1988, he served as President of the CFDA. He is also a two-time winner of the American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973.

De la Renta's talents received continual international recognition. Among them, he received the Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the Year Award in 2000 and in 2007 (tied with Proenza Schouler). In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed de la Renta with two awards, the Gold Medal of Bellas Artes and the La Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil. He was recognized by the French government with the Légion d'honneur as a Commandeur. Oscar de la Renta was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1973.

The Dominican Republic honored him with the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella and the Order of Christopher Columbus. De la Renta founded the Casa del Niño orphanage in La Romana He contributed extensively in the construction of a much needed school near his home at the Punta Cana Resort and Club in Punta Cana.[citation needed]

De la Renta held dual citizenship in the Dominican Republic and the United States. He was an Ambassador-at-Large of the Dominican Republic.

De la Renta served as a board member of the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and WNET. He served on the boards of several charitable institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the America's Society. He was chairman of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute. He received an honorary degree from Hamilton College (New York) on 26 May 2013.

In February 2014, Oscar de la Renta recreated his entire Spring presentation, Designed for A Cure 2014 collection, to raise money for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.In 1991, de la Renta was the recipient of the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. In 2014, de la Renta was the recipient of the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence. In 2017, de la Renta was honored by the United States Postal Service with an eleven stamp series, featuring a black and white photo of him and ten details from his fashion designs.