AN ODE TO OSCAR

Oscar de la Renta & actress, Dolores del Rio (Bocklet)

"I'm a very restless person. I'm always doing something. The creative process never stops." - Oscar de la Renta

Yesterday the world lost one of the most brilliant designers of the past century, and perhaps of all time.

As a man, Oscar de la Renta was thoughtful, charismatic and entirely genius, and people who had the honor to know him only had the utmost best to say. He was, and very much so still is, a figurehead of the fashion industry.

Over the past nearly 50 years of heading his own signature label, Oscar de la Renta has unfailingly designed for the elegant woman. I always admired the subtlety of his work. There was no intention to shock customers into buying his garments simply because they were so out-of-this-world crazy. Instead, what he made was attractive because it was classy and timeless. In a period of change in the fashion industry where labels work with this shock-factor that they know will begin a new obsession, Oscar continued to design with longevity in mind. The Oscar de la Renta that Jackie Kennedy wore 50 years ago, a woman today can still wear. The Oscar de la Renta wedding gown that Amal Clooney wore just a few weeks ago could easily be worn by a woman of 50 years ago. That is the beauty of his work and the beauty that I hope his successor will continue as this new era of Oscar de la Renta begins.

I think it's only fitting that we commemorate this mastermind of design by his work and not by words that simply cannot do him justice. Here is Oscar de la Renta and his work over the years.

Oscar de la Renta's early designs from 1960s

Oscar de la Renta & Audrey Hepburn

Oscar de la Renta eyewear advertisement from 1977

First Lady Jackie Kennedy wearing Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta SS13

Oscar de la Renta & model, Karlie Kloss

Amal Clooney at her Oscar de la Renta wedding dress fitting, 2014

Written by: Ana Luz Jayme

Photos: Photos do not belong to Aura 32. All credit to rightful owners.