Blanc Noir & Couture: Issue No.9

One day while painting in the streets of Paris, a Frenchman
inquired about his work and went on to tell him
that he had a friend by the name of Castillo Lavin and
he just happened to be looking for an assistant designer.
At that time Castillo, along with Pierre Balmain, Cristobal
Balenciaga and Christian Dior were considered
some of the most promising of the new generation of
Parisian designers to emerge after World War One. Once
again Oscar shined during his meeting with Lavin and
of course was offered the assistant designer position for
the House. This is where Oscar honed his craft and solidified
himself as a designer and accredits his aesthetic
for his gowns.
As time passed, fashion was changing and what women
wanted was also changing. New York had now become
the mecca for fashion . In 1963 Oscar moved to New
York and began working for Elizabeth Arden who at the
time was a huge name in fashion. Even though Arden
wasn't a fashion designer, she was well respected in
the industry and Oscar knew if anyone could get out of
the shadows of other designers and bring him and his
designs to the forefront it would be Elizabeth Arden.
The two worked well together and created a very lucrative
ready to wear line. After only two years of working
with Arden in New York, a number of internships with
some of the best in the industry, de la Renta stepped
out and created his own line...and the rest is history..
With a true sense of what the market wanted, Oscar became
a global brand, going on to design for some of the
most influential women of our time. de le Renta became
a staple amongst the first ladies dressing Jaquelin Kennedy,
Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Michlle Obama.
surprise Cristóbol was totally against the idea and want Oscar to
develop more training before he went to Paris.
Oscar knew if he wanted to make a name for himself in fashion
he had to get to Paris. "If you want to establish an international
presence you need the consecration of Paris"
In 1959, against Balenciaga's wishes, Oscar moved to Paris with
the financial support of sisters. Immediately upon arriving in Paris,
Oscar started at the top by taking his sketches to Christian Dior
in hopes of getting a job as an assistant designer. Dior was blown
away by Oscar's sketches and after much conversation offered
him a job at the House of Dior with a $150.00 salary. Although he
didn't get the assistant designer position he was thrilled to have
landed a job within days after arriving in Paris.
Oscar fell in love with the city, the culture, the women, the clothes.
Oscar de la Renta has been one of the most successful
designers on the market for years now. This is largely
because he has a keen understanding of what the
market wants. Equally important, he had more business
sense than a lot of his competitors. Oscar de la Renta
on the other hand makes sure that the clothes that he
designs are practical and something that women will
actually wear. This has resulted in sales that are much
higher than most of his competitors have and longevity
in the business. Oscar did not limit his brand to just
womens clothing he designed shoes, jewelry, handbags
a men's line, socks, sheets, towels, house wear, and
fragrance's. Oscar de la Renta was a designer who translated
his love of vibrant colors forms and fabric into art
that can be worn.
"The most important beauty is not the beauty you're
born with but the beauty you create for yourself" -Oscar
De La Renta
Blanc Noir & Couture | Fashion Xchange Magazine | 77