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You Need To Know-Designer Oscar De la Renta.

Oscar de la Renta (born July 22, 1932) is one of the world's leading fashion designers.

Early years

De la Renta was born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father.At the age of 18 he left the Dominican Republic to study in Spain, where he studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. 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. Later, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio Castillo as a couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris.

In 1963, torn between designing custom clothing for Elizabeth Arden as well as designing shoes and accessories, and designing ready-to-wear for Christian Dior-New York, de la Renta turned for advice to Diana Vreeland, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, saying that what he really wanted was to "get into ready to wear, because that's where the money is". 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." De la Renta proceeded to work for Arden for two years before he in 1965 went to work for Jane Derby and launched his own label. When Derby died in August 1965 Oscar de la Renta took over the label.

He was one of the three major protégés of Baron de Gunzburg; the others were Bill Blass and Calvin Klein.

Two of his major competitors are Carolina Herrera and Carmen Marc Valvo.

Awards, honors, philanthropic endeavors

De la Renta's talents receive continual international recognition. Among them, he received the CFDA Womenswear 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. 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. From 1993 to 2002, Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Pierre Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house.

The Dominican Republic has also honored him with the Order of Juan Pablo Duarte and the Order of Cristóbal Colón. De la Renta has contributed extensively in the construction of a much needed school near his home at the Punta Cana Resort and Club in Punta Cana.

De la Renta serves as a board member of the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and WNET. He also serves on the boards of several charitable institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the America's Society, and is presently chairman of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.

His clothes have been worn by many celebrities, including Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, Jenna Bush, and Megan Fox.

Citizenship

De la Renta was solely a Dominican citizen, due to past United States law prohibiting dual-citizenship. He renounced his Dominican citizenship in 1971 (a formality required by the US, given that Dominican citizenship is non-renounceable) when he was naturalized as a United States citizen. Although he was offered the post of Dominican ambassador to the United States, de la Renta refused the position because of his newly acquired citizenship. Today he holds both a U.S and a Dominican passport.

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