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Even if you’ve never worn his clothes, you’ve most likely heard his name. Oscar de la Renta is the designer who’s dressed some of the world’s most famous people — including Jackie Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, and Hillary Clinton. His final masterpiece was Amal Alamuddin’s wedding dress.
Tonight, many are paying tribute to his work. De la renta died Monday at the age of 82 after a ten year battle with cancer. He inspired many around the world — including people in the Hamilton area.
You probably can’t find any of his dresses here — you would have to head to 5th Avenue in New York for that. But many of these business owners says his name is often heard around here.
Fashion Designer Lynn Bebee says Oscar de la Renta appealed to a wide audience, and that’s evident when high school girls come into her shop asking for his dresses: “Some of them will come in with an Oscar de la Renta picture on their iPhone and say ‘can you create this?’ And I’ll look at it and say, sure it’s a 60 thousand dollar dress you’re showing me.”
With a price tag like that-his clients included Hollywood elite and White House royalty. Many of his dresses were seen on red carpets.
Lynn Bebee: “He is one of the greatest, and there are really just a hand full of great, great designers and he will be really well respected for that.”
Fashion history student Madison Watson says she knows why he was such an elite designer: “I think he was really in tune with how women wanted to portrayed themselves over the decades, and I know that changed a lot. But there is always classical, never showed too much but also very alluring-that’s what made his career.”
And a career it was — spanning more than 50 years. De la Renta was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, although last year he said he was in remission.
And many celebrities have been tweeting about de le Renta. Singer Gloria Estefan writes: RIP iconic designer Oscar de la Renta, who was a big part of 3 of my life’s biggest moments.
Taylor Swift writes: “My all-time favorite designer has passed away. Oscar, it was an honor to wear your creations and to know you.”