FASHION
(^36) | APRIL 2016
OSCAR DE LA RENTA
THE ARTIST AS A GENTLEMAN AND A SCHOLAR
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT BIG, GORGEOUS PIECE
of installation art, where you can interact with fantasy and
history in three-dimensional works, plan to spend some
time with Oscar de la Renta, the Dominican Republic-born
couturier who studied drawing in Spain, sharpened his
skills in France and made his name as an American fashion
designer. His art took color and textiles and gave them
shape on runways and city streets as they told stories in
photographs, and became truly interactive with the final
zip. I spoke with Fine Arts Museums Acting Director Richard
Benefield, who worked with lead curator André Leon Talley
to orchestrate the exhibit.
Gwynned Vitello: Beyond his personal grace and goodwill,
why Oscar de la Renta?
Richard Benefield: Of the fashion designers who
appeared in the ’60s, he arrived in 1963, fully formed,
and stayed at the top of his game for five decades.
After training in Madrid and Paris, it was a short matter
of time before he established his own label. This art of
consistency covers all those years, characterized by an
equally enduring relationship with his loyal clients, whom
he always credited as his most vivid and valued source
of inspiration.
He was known for form, interior construction and the
lining of his clothing. Can this be displayed, and which
other designers were renowned for form and simplicity?
With a career so long and a story so deep and rich, we
decided to just go with the clothes and let them speak for
themselves. There will be a multimedia guide, primarily
related to beading and embroidery and, especially, the
fabric. Though I never met him, I have heard over and over
that he was inspired by fabrics and fabric choices.
above
Oscar de la Renta
for Pierre Balmain
Evening dress,
Autumn/Winter 1999–2000
Black silk velvet,
white silk embroidery
and appliqué
Photo by Victor Virgile
Getty Images