The Red Carpet King

Oscar de la Renta, the couturier to the rich and famous, added sparkle, pizzazz, dazzle and magical beauty to the stunning designs for the countless movie stars who sashayed on the red carpets at the annual Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the international film festivals around the globe. He dressed the First Ladies as they shined and danced at the inaugural balls and at the White House as the Presidents were elected to serve our country. The stars lined up to showcase de la Renta’s latest and greatest fabulous new dresses. His recent wedding gown creation adorned Amal Alamuddin who married actor George Clooney in Venice, Italy.

Oscar de la Renta’s death this week brought a wave of sadness to the world of fashion. He was 82 years old. Born in the Dominican Republic, de la Renta began his career in the 1950s in Spain working with and studying with the legendary designer Balenciaga and later on with Lanvin in Paris. He eventually inaugurated his first line in 1965 in New York, and became the red carpet king. In 1973, he was named to the Coty Hall of Fame and in 1989 he was presented with the lifetime achievement award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Oscar de la Renta had strong affinity for the Bay Area and I was fortunate to have an opportunity last August to attend his annual summer fashion show on the beautiful shores of Lake Tahoe as a benefit for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. It was truly a memorable event with over 600 in attendance, and I enjoyed meeting and chatting with this charming and talented man.

Hopefully Dede Wilsey, the Fine Arts Museums Board President in San Francisco and a close friend of Oscar de la Renta, will present a retrospective of his fashions at the city’s remarkable de Young Museum, as she successfully orchestrated similar shows for Balenciaga and Jean Paul Gaultier in the past few years.

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, not the best of ‘‘balabostas’’ her beloved beautiful Mom, Dina, was hoping for. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out.

By Lina Broydo