Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta is a world-renowned designer who came to New York in 1963 to design the couture collection for Elizabeth Arden. His current line of products includes men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, cosmetics, fragrances, lingerie, sleepwear, and sportswear as well as a unique collection of furniture, home fragrances, bedding, and decorative fabrics.

Oscar de la Renta’s talents receive continual international recognition. Among many other honors, Oscar de la Renta received the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2000. In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a two-time winner of the Coty American Fashion Critic’s Award and was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame in 1973. From 1993 -2002 Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Pierre Balmain. He was the first American ever to design for a French couture house. Oscar de la Renta has been awarded the French Legion d’Honneur as a Commandeur.

The Dominican Republic has also honored its best known native son as one of its most distinguished citizens with the order al Mérito de Juan Pablo Duarte and the order of Cristóbal Colón. In 1996, Mr. de la Renta received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Heritage Society and in 2000 he marched down Fifth Avenue as Grand Marshall of New York City’s Hispanic Day Parade. Also in 2000, Mr. de la Renta received the Gold Medal of Bellas Artes from the King of Spain. Oscar de la Renta has also helped build a much needed school and day-care center in the Dominican Republic for 1,200 children.

Oscar de la Renta is a tireless patron of the arts. He serves as a board member of The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Channel Thirteen/WNET. He is also on the boards of important cultural institutions such as New Yorkers for Children, the Americas Society, and the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute.