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www.MOSTmag.com || FASHIO N MAG A ZINE || 131 The iconic designer who believed that outer beauty would help elevate inner beauty and that confidence could be deemed from donning a garment, designed exquisite gowns seeped in romantic glamour for leading ladies spanning the spectrum of politics, Hollywood, and royalty. Remembered for dressing first ladies such as Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, and Hillary Clinton and celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker and most recently the wedding gown for Amal Clooney, the designer married European sophistication with American cool in his designs, using volume, color, and dramatic construction. Anna Wintour, a close friend of Oscars said that, %u201cHis designs reflected his extraordinary personality: optimistic, fun, sunny, romantic,%u201d and that %u201cOscar was everything you could want a friend to be. He always said accept your friends for who they are, not for who you want them to be.%u201d Charming and popular, he loved entertaining and dining with people from all walks of life and President Danilo Medina said of the Dominican-born designer, %u201chis departure leaves a void that is just impossible to fill,%u201d and declared a national day of mourning in Santo Domingo.De la Renta studied art in Madrid and worked as an apprentice to Cristobal Balenciaga before becoming an assistant at Lanvin in Paris in 1960. Moving to the U.S. he found work with Elizabeth Arden, who helped promote him and grow his own reputation. He then proceeded to work for Jane Derby, an American fashion house, which he took over upon her death in 1965. Later, from 1993 to 2002 he worked for the house of Balmain, designing their haute couture collection and becoming the first Dominican to design for a French fashion house. His eponymous line run on the ideals of hard work, patience, and the value of appearance, became a hugely successful, family-run company. It produced two runway shows a year in New York, ready to wear, accessories, fragrances, children%u2019s wear, bridal wear and a home line and will continue to do so under the direction of British designer Peter Copping, Oscar%u2019s chosen successor. The resplendent, award-winning designer is survived by his second wife, philanthropist, Annette Reed, an adopted son, and three step children. As his close friend Diane Von Furstenberg said, %u201cThe only way that we can actually honor him is by all of us loving life, and loving fashion, and loving gardens, and being, you know, full of life, and enjoying life.%u201d