1. FashiOn
osCAr
A Conversation With
The celebrated couturier shares his thoughts on
designing for women, for brides-to-be and for the future.
By susan Weissman | Photography by Andréa fazzari
82 83
issue four 2009 | FOUR seasOns magazine F O U R s e a s O n s m a ga z i n e | i s s u e f o u r 2 00 9

2. Osc aR de la Renta
H
“The days are
gone when a
woman would
wear one designer
from head to toe.
previous pages, left to right:
. . . Today women
Designer Oscar de la Renta; buy clothes that
intricate hand embroidery fit their lifestyle
His gallantry and warmth have made him a favourite
these pages, clockwise
from top left: point of view that when I first and reflect their
of socialites, celebrities and professional women alike. But behind The beginnings of a design; started designing clothes— individuality. As
the gracious demeanor is an intuitive businessman who’s thrived a de la Renta wedding gown;
today’s woman buys clothes
because my clothes have always a designer, you
for nearly five decades in what is arguably the most fickle and to fit her busy lifestyle;
been expensive—the woman have to know
competitive of industries, dressing women ranging from Hillary luxurious fabrics form the would have to ask her husband that your jacket
Clinton to Sarah Jessica Parker. He is Oscar de la Renta. And at
this point in his career he’s hotter than ever, with women aged
basis of couture design. if she could buy a dress. Today,
a woman has the buying power
will be worn with
20 to 80 filling their closets with his fashions. to do this without asking [per- somebody else’s
As busy as he is—with stores throughout the U.S. and in mission]. Certainly, it’s more blouse. That’s
Dubai, Athens, Madrid and one soon to open in Moscow, he took challenging given that women evolution.”
the time to speak with us from his atelier in New York about have a more diversified life.
women and fashion. Besides having a life of glamour and travel, she has a working
life as well.
four seasons Magazine: You are perhaps best known as a I keep saying that the 21st century is the century of the
couturier. i’m wondering how this influence is translated into woman. Women did important things in the past that they never
your collections? got credit for. Today, women are powerful and they understand
Oscar de la Renta: Haute couture actually has lot of different the power of their femininity in the workplace.
meanings for many different people. For me, it simply means How does a woman’s wardrobe differ today from earlier in
custom-made clothes. With haute couture, you are obviously your career?
addressing a much smaller consumer base and your prices can The days are gone when a woman would wear one designer from
be much higher. You can let your imagination go and use more head to toe. When I started designing clothes, a woman identified
embroidery and more expensive fabrics, but the concept of with a single label and each season would order her clothes from the
designing either one is the same. same place. Today, women buy clothes that fit their lifestyle and
84 How has the woman you design for today changed? reflect their individuality. As a designer you have to know that your 85
The woman I am dressing today is a very different woman than jacket will be worn with somebody else’s blouse. That’s evolution.
the woman I dressed many years ago when I first came to this What basic must a well-dressed woman have in her closet today?
country. The woman I dress today is a professional woman. Every woman should have a suit that fits perfectly, and makes
This development is exciting for designers, especially from the her feel beautiful and feminine.
issue four 2009 | FOUR seasOns magazine F O U R s e a s O n s m a ga z i n e | i s s u e f o u r 2 00 9

3. Osc aR de la Renta
these pages, left to right:
for celebrities or for
career women, Oscar de
la Renta turns his careful
eye to the details; de la Renta
believes that a wedding gown,
often the most important
dress a woman will buy,
should be “the essence
of femininity.”
87
F O U R s e a s O n s m a ga z i n e | i s s u e f o u r 2 00 9

4. Osc aR de la Renta
Now Hear This . . . | go to FourSeasons
Magazine.com and search “Oscar de la Renta” to see a
video and hear the fashion mogul in his own words.
.com
“There’s always
a challenge to be
at the top of the
group, which i
think encourages
us all to do our
best work. As a
these pages: designer, you are
How does a woman stay current yet age-appropriate?
All in the details,
Oscar de la Renta’s couture don’t think you should think always striving
I think that the key to dressing today is to develop a personal designs incorporate that you should be austere and for excellence. . . .
style that reflects who you are. Ultimately, style is about wearing interesting and luxurious wear a little white suit or not in this economic
what you love and knowing what looks best on you. fabrics, hand beading and
imaginative notions to
wear white at all. My sister- environment,
You have a wedding collection in addition to your ready-to-wear
give each garment a
in-law wore red after I suggested you must work
collection. if i came to you for a wedding dress, what sort of
counsel would you give me?
unique look and feel. the colour would be perfect
for her. And white, which many
harder to make a
In most instances, I probably would turn the question around people don’t know, is a woman love your
and ask you what sort of dress you would like to have. I think fairly recent colour for brides. clothes enough to
most girls—with very few exceptions—think of this day in their Before the Victorians, who as- buy them.”
life and have a very clear of idea of how they want to look. sociated white with youth and
[He laughs.] The problem is when the girls come with their virginity, brides wore colour.
mothers. The mothers often have a completely different idea of Where do you think fashion is headed in the next 50 years?
what their daughters should wear. So when this happens, I ask I feel lucky to work in this business at this point in time because
the mother if she would mind if I talk to her daughter first. there are a lot of talented designers working today. Fashion is
A mother usually has a certain idea of what her daughter should such a dynamic industry where you have artists both new and
look like. But that oftentimes has nothing to do with what established at all stages of their careers. There is always a
the daughter has in mind. challenge to be at the top of the group, which I think encourages
Are there any hard and fast rules about what a bride should wear? us all to do our best work. As a designer, you are always striving
Today, I would say the wedding dress is about the essence of for excellence and now maybe more than ever. In this economic
femininity. Most girls want to look romantic and feminine above environment, you have to work harder to make a woman love
all. Strange enough, all the brides want strapless dresses, which your clothes enough to buy them.
is funny to me since I come from a very Catholic country where, I am optimistic about the future of fashion. Women will
88 in my time, you couldn’t walk into a church in a strapless dress. always be enticed and inspired by beautiful clothes. If designers 89
for someone who is getting married for a second time, do you can do this [inspire], then the next 50 years of fashion will be
have any advice about what to wear? fantastic. 4s
[Oscar sings] . . . Love is wonderful the second time around . . . you
know, I think the second time around can be as good as the first. I susan Weissman is the executive editor of Four Seasons Magazine.
issue four 2009 | FOUR seasOns magazine F O U R s e a s O n s m a ga z i n e | i s s u e f o u r 2 00 9