Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta died at the age of 82 in his home in Connecticut Monday night. His fashion house confirmed the news in a statement Tuesday.
“He died exactly as he lived: with tremendous grace, dignity and very much on his own terms,” said the handwritten note, posted on the fashion house’s homepage and signed by his stepdaughter Eliza Reed Bolen — also the company’s executive vice president — and her husband Alex Bolen, the brand’s CEO. “While our heart are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much with us.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, de la Renta worked with the fashion designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga and with the fashion houses Lanvin and Balmain, establishing his own line in 1965. His designs were a staple at awards shows, celebrity weddings and at the White House.
Nancy Reagan joined the chorus of voices mourning his death
“America has lost a brilliant, enduring talent and a true gentleman,” Reagan, one of the first ladies the designer dressed, said in a statement. “Oscar was a fashion legend but he was also my friend for nearly 50 years.”
Reagan called de la Renta a “kind, gracious individual with a generous spirit who brought beauty and elegance to everything he touched.”
De la Renta is survived by his wife Annette Engelhard de la Renta and son Moises.
— Staff and wire reports