Oscar de La Renta's Lovely First Ladies
He was an icon from a different era, all class. Oscar de la Renta was the designer that your grandmother admired who made the clothes that everyone from First Ladies to society types to young thirtysomethings wanted to wear. From his humble beginnings in the Dominican Republic, he went on study painting in Spain. It is there that he began to sketch for fashion house’s including for famed couturier Cristobal Balenciaga who became his mentor. After a stint at Lanvin, he started his own label in 1965.
It was around this time that he caught the eye of Jackie Kennedy, who he would then go on to dress for years to come. He became a trusted advisor to future first ladies as well including Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton (who chose the designer for her husband Bill Clinton’s 1997 inauguration ball), and Laura Bush. Most recently Michelle Obama even wore a dress from the designer’s 2014 collection.
