Oscar de la Renta was barely a seventeen-year-old when he left his native Dominican Republic to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. As many beginning artists, he used to spend all his free time in museums, practicing and copying works by the well-known Masters. The gifted young artist soon realized that what caught his eye most were dresses: lacework, puffery, fancy decollete…Thus, he became entranced in the world of design and started creating his own designs. Sketches by the young painter were literally bought up by leading Spanish fashion houses but, most of all, Oscar liked to visit Spain´s most renowned couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga. The feeling turned out to be mutual, and soon the guru started teaching Oscar the art of cutting. When a photo of Beatrice Lodge, daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Spain, appeared on the cover of Life Magazine dressed in a gorgeous, airy gown of Oscar de la Renta — that was the a major moment of recognition for the young couturier.
Upon becoming renowned in the Spanish capital, the ambitious designer decided to conquer Paris. So, he left Spain to join Antonio Castillo as a couture assistant at the house of Lanvin. However, he could hardly dream of succeeding in Paris, since a constellation of glorious designer names shone in the French fashion houses during that era, and Oscar certainly had no interest in being a “perpetual assistant.” Instead he was dreaming of something quite different, so in 1963, he decided to make his fortune in the United States of America. He came to New York to design the couture collection for Elizabeth Arden, which brought him success, recognition, and not least of all, money to launch his signature ready-to-wear label — Oscar de la Renta. Since then he has won the Coty American Fashion Critic´s Award many times, one of the most prestigious fashion accolades established in the United States to encourage fashion design.
The Oscar de la Renta wedding collection may be defined as quintessentially classic in every way — encompassing all the best and treasured wedding looks, every woman´s wedding dream, in the classic materials of taffeta, tulle, and braid lace in only the most flattering form and shape. The dresses are full of elegance, tenderness, and femininity. The hairstyles are smooth, while the accessories include a bridal veiling or veil, sometimes combined with a lavish, yet at the same time simple, head dress. Rhinestones, artificial flowers, bows, and frills strike one´s eye but never overpower. Just perfectly balanced…perfectly fitting!
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