Glamour Begins At Home: Oscar de la Renta

Showing posts with label Oscar de la Renta. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Elegance of Oscar

Oscar de la Renta via Vogue

Sadly it was announced today that fashion designer Oscar de la Renta died at the age of 82 from a re-occurring cancer. With over 50 years of designs crediting his name, Mr. de la Renta's style was legendary.

1956 coming out party in Madrid. Oscar de la Renta designs for Beatrice Lodge, daughter of U.S. Ambassador.

Oscar taking Beatrice, and his first dress for a spin.

“Real beauty is not what you project with your physique, but what you project with your mind.”

Oscar de la Renta

Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Penelope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Oprah, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Amal Alamuddin, the list just goes on, and on, and on. The long list of women who created a stir when they walked into a room wearing the Oscar de la Renta label.

At the young age of 18, Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo left his home in the Dominican Republic to study painting in Spain. He abandoned painting to pursue an interest in fashion and apprenticed with Cristobal Balenciaga, assisting at Lanvin. Fifty years later, his designs make women swoon at the glance of a de la Renta gown.

The elegance that Oscar de la Renta injected into his creations is the same elegance that he wore in his own persona.

"Elegance is a discipline of life".

Oscar de la Renta

The bridal creations from Oscar de la Renta filled the romantic dreams of so many brides over the years. He understood how a woman wanted to feel in a dress - feminine, confident, elegant, soft, and oh so special.

Oscar de la Renta - the Sultan of Suave

There are hundreds of images on the net of early creations {some of my all time favourites}, bridal collections, day wear, resort wear, and exquisite gowns. It would be so easy to fill this post with all of the de la Renta designs that I love. But I will share one of my favourite gowns that Oscar designed and his comment that evokes the level of confidence he wanted a woman to feel.

"Walk like you have three men walking behind you". Oscar de la Renta

The elegance of Oscar de la Renta

Monday, September 16, 2013

Shades of Spring and Summer

Albeit that we have not yet put our Fall sweaters on, the fashion industry is well ahead of the game and already have Spring & Summer 2014 ready for our shopping bags. The truth is that in the world of fashion, designers are many seasons ahead of what is being revealed on the runway.

The recent Fashion Week unveiled the styles, fabrics and colours that will dominate our wardrobes next spring. It is my observation of every fashion week that the net is thrown wide from most fashion houses with the attempt to capture some of the attention. For Spring 2014, the colour palette is varied and offers something for every taste.

Pantone.com describes Spring 2014 colour influences as 'A Season of Colorful Equilibrium'. Equilibrium .... like the equal balance between powers? Well certainly if that is the case, then the upcoming spring colour choices will provide the opportunity for experimentation of new looks and colour combinations {as stated by Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone Color Institute}. The palettes couldn't be any more removed from one another if they tried and yet they will all play the in proverbial summer sandbox quite well together.

Early spring offers the opportunity to play in natures sandbox with neutral tones that will allow wearers to transition easily from the dark hues of winter into the soft romantic tones of summer. Typical of spring it begins with playful names like : Khaki, Sand, Honey, Grey. The sames shades that play in deeper tones during the winter months, but we bring them to life in the spring with more subtle renditions in softer fabrics.

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Warm tones bring the heat into the spring and summer scene for 2014 with a vibrancy that helps the season sizzle. The palette runs from the bright golden tones up the scale to hot pinks and sexy shades of red. This spring you will get familiar with colourful names like : Canary, Watermelon, Cherry, Red Orange and Crimson.

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Summer wouldn't be complete without the colours of the ocean washing into our fashion closet. Spring 2014 will be no different and she offers a splash of tones that are sure to keep you cool. Cool tones for Spring 2014 include shades with names that bring the Caribbean waters to your doorstep : Lemon and Lime {think of those cool summer bevy's}, Aqua, Emerald, Cerulean.

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The colour palette that is getting most of my attention are the Soft Tones. Yes, I'm a romantic and can't resist the soft ice-cream-parlor shades that make everything quite simply 'pretty'. Soft shades of pink, blue, mauve, yellow, make even the most casual of fashions look special. There is something striking when a soft tone is presented in a strong fabric - think petal pink wool jacket {ok, of course I'm thinking Chanel}. But it is in spring and summer that we get to play in not only soft tones but floaty, soft fabrics. The romance of the season is played out when shades of Watermelon, Sorbet, Peach, Lavender, Seafoam, and Powder are wistfully presented.