Oscar de la Renta, the monarch of American couture, has sadly passed away.
While his cause of death has not yet been confirmed, it is known that the 82 year old designer had been suffering from cancer throughout the past ten years.
His death was confirmed in the early hours of this morning by his wife, Annette de la Renta (pictured below).
The iconic de la Renta name first came to prominence in the 1960’s when it emerged he was Jacqueline Kennedy’s designer of choice. From that point onwards, his status within the industry rapidly grew, and he went on to work with famed fashion houses such as Lanvin and Balmain.
Oscar de la Renta didn’t just create gowns, he created a new level of elegance.
His name was synonymous with sophistication, which in turn, inspired a distinctive confidence within the ladies who wore his label.
For the most part, his evening gowns epitomised a classic Hollywood style, which led to him becoming a firm favourite amongst many modern day celebrities, including, most recently, Amal Clooney, who chose him to design her wedding dress.
I think everyone will agree that Oscar de la Renta’s work was every bit as adored as it was admired.
After all, you didn’t have to wear his designs to know they had been created by a man with a supremely brilliant mind and an unrivaled knowledge of fashion.
There are few designers whose creations have true timeless elegance, but Oscar de la Renta was certainly one of them.
He was loved by fashion publications and blogs alike. He was also a hugely quotable man, and I myself often posted his famous lines on the SoSueMe Facebook page.
So as the news of Oscar de la Renta’s passing makes its way around the world this morning, I think it’s only fitting to end this post with the poignant statement he made last year when talking about the great sense of appreciation his illness had instilled within him.
“We always think we are going to live forever. The dying aspect we will never accept. The one thing about having this kind of warning is how you appreciate every single day of life.”
