Oscar de La Renta
Oscar de La Renta
Oscar de La Renta
ADM 265
Oscar De la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic to a diplomatic family. In his
younger years, he drew fashion illustrations for money on the side. Eventually, he fell in love
with the art and wanted to become a designer of his own. He was mentored by Cristobal
Balenciaga in Spain and then went on to be a couture assistant in Paris at Lanvin. Eventually, De
la Renta went on to design haute couture for Balmain. The designer continued to dress celebrities
and distinguished women under his own brand until he passed away in 2014. De la Renta won
many awards including the CFDA Lifetime Achievement award and is now considered a
household name.
I found the era of De la Renta’s Russian influence to be very interesting because Russia is
not as common as an inspiration in the design world. The elements of fashion that were
incorporated into this this were full silhouettes, with gypsy-inspired bell-shaped dresses and long
fur coats. The details were intricate and had metallic threads, embroidery, and rich trims. The
Oscar De la Renta: A Retrospective Beres, Sydney
ADM 265
textures were embroidery and fur, as well as brocades and expensive wovens. The colors were
These fashions are evolutionary not revolutionary because De la Renta did not invent
these looks but put his spin on them. De la Renta drew inspiration from Russian brocades and
fur. He drew from history and recalled the court of Catherine the Great. Therefore, he built on
fashion that already existed instead of entirely creating something new. He did not create the
Above is one of the dresses within De la Renta’s Russian theme. The style is a gown
with a babushka. The colors are deep drowns and rich golds combined into a paisley-like
brocade. The texture is a rich embroidery and fullness due to the brocade weave. The details
include metallics, sequins, appliqués, and trims. The silhouette is a bell-shaped full skirt.
The rules of the fashion game are portrayed in this design by representing the covered-up
part of the process. No specific part of the body is being revealed, however the waist is being
accentuated. This contributes to the fashion game by moving fashion attention forward and
featuring a modest look instead of exposing part of the body, similar to the start of a new cycle.
This design is definitely something that has been adapted for the mass market. This
paisley, earth tones type of look has been done in all levels of fashion retail. I believe that this
was De la Renta’s Russian-inspired take on the 1970s. In the 1990s, when this piece was
designed, the styles of the 70s were becoming a trend. This is interesting because according to
Chapter 1, that is when De la Renta began designing, so he got to recreate what he had already
garden theme area the was entirely filled with silk and tulle. There was so much of it that De la
Renta had taken this design element of fullness and amount of fabric to the extreme. The amount
fabric on the dress makes it very impractical to wear and although the headpiece is gorgeous it is
very large, clearly just a fashion statement. I do not believe that the designs could really get any
bigger than this and therefore the fashion will end in excess.
I thought that the exhibit was beautifully done and was surprised and thoroughly
impressed by the sheer volume of work that they displayed. De la Renta seemed like a designer
with incredible taste. I found it interesting that he was so versatile in his aesthetic that he could
Oscar De la Renta: A Retrospective Beres, Sydney
ADM 265
work for various fashion houses yet still maintained his signature look. I enjoyed the fact that he
Although I personally do not have a particular interest in gowns, I found that the artistry
in the collection left me in awe. The details and hand-done couture work, the richness of the
fabrics, and the amount of work you could tell went into each piece was amazing. I do wish that
there were more looks like the one pantsuit that they had on display, but the designs were truly
remarkable.
Oscar De la Renta: A Retrospective Beres, Sydney
ADM 265
The main things that I saw and experienced that gave me a pause for thought was just
amazement of the copies amounts of time and dedication it seems went into to each look when
you look at the garment up close. The ambiance was refined. It was dramatic but in a subtle way
so that nothing seemed over the top. I really enjoyed the presentation of the garden theme. This
really reflected and complemented the designs because I feel like De la Renta’s designs also