What I Loved About Oscar de la Renta

Photo: Gamma Rapho/Getty Images

What a beautiful man Oscar de la Renta was. He truly epitomized class, style, and grace like no one else. I was lucky enough to have worked with Oscar on a few of his shows. I was thrilled every time I was asked to do the makeup that would accompany his gorgeous dresses. Oscar was a visionary and he knew how he wanted women to look: elegant yet fresh, feminine and strong.

First lady Jackie Kennedy wearing Oscar de la Renta in March of 1962. Photo: Life Photo Collection/Getty Images

Oscar had staying power in an industry that is incredibly fickle, reigning as one of the world’s top designers for over five decades. He not only dressed Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace, but stars like Taylor Swift and George Clooney’s bride Amal Alamuddin. While he never really changed what he believed in—that a woman should look polished and glamorous—he stayed current by always taking chances. He was very tapped into what, or who, was fresh and new—whether it was working with the coolest models (Karlie Kloss closed out his last runway show) or by surrounding himself with a young, savvy team tapped into social media (@oscarprgirl has over 436,000 followers).

Karlie Kloss closes Oscar de la Renta’s Spring 2015 show in New York last month. Photo: Gamma Rapho/Getty Images

What I admired most about Oscar was his sense of humor. Not only was the designer incredibly handsome and stylish, but behind the perfect façade he was very funny, with a mischievous sense of humor. He was often laughing, delivering a one-liner with a wink. It was a unique combination that made people love being around him. Oscar was remarkable and truly irreplaceable.

Taylor Swift wearing Oscar de la Renta at last year’s Met Gala. Photo: Neilson Bernard/Getty Images