CNE Fashion

Oscar de la Renta is a world renown fashion designer. He has designed clothes for many different people and the mere speak of his name brightens peoples eyes. He is well noted among many celebrities as well. His clothes have also been worn by Hillary Clinton and Barbara Bush.

Oscar de La Renta was born in the Dominican Republic to his mother and his Puerto Rican father. He left the Republic at the young age of 18 to go study painting in Spain. While there he became more and more interested in fashion. He began sketching for some of the fashion houses which led to an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga. In 1963 he was torn between working for Elizabeth Arden or Christian Dior. At the advice of Diana Vreeland who was the editor in chief of Vogue he decided to go with Elizabeth Arden whom he worked for two years. After Arden he went to work for Jane Derby and launched his own Label. When she passed away he took over the label. His two major competitors are Carmen Marc Valvo and Carolina Herrera.

Oscar de la Renta has received international recognition. He has received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in the years 2000 and 2007. He also in 1990 honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. He has in the past served as president of the CFDA. He has also won the American Fashion Critics Award. He won two of these awards. He was inducted into Fame in 1973. The French couture house Pierre Balmain used Oscar de la Renta as its designer from 1993 to 2002. Oscar de la Renta has also been honored in the Dominican Republic for his work. He lives near The Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana and has greatly contributed to a much needed school construction. He serves on the board of several charities including the New Yorkers for Children and is chairman for the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.