Ruffles. Roses. Romanticism. All key ingredients that contributed to the lasting genius of one of the world’s most influential designers, Oscar de la Renta.
Admirers of the late, great fashion designer will not want to miss the magnificent retrospective of his work currently on display at the acclaimed de Young Museum, part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
It is the first major survey to celebrate the life and career of de la Renta, who was also one of the fashion world’s most beloved personalities who counted some of the world’s top figures among his close friends.
The exhibit (which closes May 30, so hurry and get your tickets) examines the historical and cultural influences on his work, including the natural beauty of gardens and the influence of Latin culture, and his techniques in creating his couture and pret-a-porter designs.
It was produced in collaboration with the House of Oscar de la Renta and the designer’s family and curated by André Leon Talley, former Vogue editor and lifelong friend of de la Renta.
More than 130 ensembles produced over a period of 50 years are on display, including some of his iconic gowns worn by Sarah Jessica Parker, Taylor Swift, Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Karlie Kloss, Penelope Cruz, Rihanna, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
The works are displayed in several thematic sections: de la Renta’s early work; Spanish, Eastern, Russian and garden influences; daywear and eveningwear and ball gowns and red carpet ensembles.
Ensembles in the exhibition were drawn from the designer’s personal collection, the archives of the House of Balmain, public and private collections from around the world and the Fine Arts Museums’ costume collection.
The exhibit traces the designer’s budding career in Spain, where he got his first commissions. De la Renta had moved to Madrid at the age of 18 to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando before he began sketching designs for the leading Spanish fashion houses, leading to an apprenticeship with Spain’s most renowned couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. After a stint there, de la Renta moved on to Lanvin in Paris and then Elizabeth Arden in New York, where he worked before founding his signature ready-to-wear label in 1965.
These experiences clearly positioned him for his eventual role dressing some of the most influential and celebrated people of the 20th and 21st centuries.
“My goal is to highlight the extraordinary depth of Oscar’s creative aesthetic from his earliest designs for Jane Derby throughout the five decades of his remarkable career,” said Talley about curating the exhibit.
The first full-scale retrospective of de la Renta’s work continues the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s commitment to fashion as art. Previous costume exhibitions include Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion (2007), Yves Saint Laurent (2008–2009), Balenciaga and Spain (2011), The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk (2012) and most recently High Style: The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection (2015).
