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memory lane
October 20, 2014

A Look Back at Oscar de la Renta’s Greatest Runway Hits

By Véronique Hyland

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Photo: Gerard Fouet/Getty Images

Oscar de la Renta, who died today at the age of 82, in many ways set the tone for American fashion, dressing everyone from First Ladies to movie stars. He quickly became a one-name wonder, and “I’m wearing Oscar” became synonymous with discerning taste and inspired countless paler imitators. From his early days designing in the 1960s, de la Renta always followed a feminine, dramatic blueprint. Whether it was the tiered polka-dot frock Pat Cleveland wore in his 1979 holiday show or the island-ready bandeau and skirt Gisele shimmied down the runway in back in 2000, his designs were unfailingly flirtatious, feminine, and sexy without being showy. Some of his trademarks included dramatic flamenco ruffles, bell sleeves, tropical prints, and boleros — often topped off with a dramatic hat.

Click through our slideshow to look back at some of the designer’s signature moments from almost 50 years in the business.

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Oscar De La Renta 1970 Penelope Tree Photo: Corbis
Oscar del la Renta  Fall 1971  Photo: Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1972 De La Renta with models outside his East 62nd St. home Photo: Pierre Schermann
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1978  Photo: Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1979  Photo: John Bright/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Resort 1979  Photo: John Bright/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Holiday 1979 Pat Cleveland Photo: John Bright/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta 1980 Jerry Hall Photo: Ted Thai/Time & Life Pictures
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1982  Photo: Corbis
OScar De La Renta Spring 1984  Photo: Star Black/Corbis
Oscar De la Renta Spring 1984  Photo: Thomas Iannaccone
Oscar De La Renta 1986 Iman Photo: Rose Hartman/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1988  Photo: George Chinsee/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1988  Photo: George Chinsee/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1990  Photo: George Chinsee
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1991  Photo: George Chinsee/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1991 Linda Evangelista Photo: Pierre Vauthey/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1991 Yasmeen Ghauri Photo: Pierre Vauthey/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1992  Photo: Julio Donoso/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta 1992  Photo: Tim Graham/Corbis
Balmain Fall 1993-1994 Haute Couture  Photo: WILLIAM ICKES/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1994 Helena Christensen Photo: Laszlo Veres/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1994 Naomi Campbell, Oscar De la Renta, Christy Turlington Photo: Thomas Iannaccone/Corbis
Osca De La Renta Fall 1994 Naomi Campbell Photo: Ron Galella; Ltd./Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1994 Shalom Harlow Photo: Ron Galella/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1995  Photo: Mark Cardwell/Reuters/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta c. 1995 Trish Goff Photo: Catherine McGann/Getty Images
Balmain Fall 1995 Haute Couture  Photo: GERARD FOUET/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1996  Photo: JON LEVY
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1997 Esther Cañadas Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1997  Photo: JON LEVY/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1997  Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1997  Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty
Balmain Fall 1998 Haute Couture  Photo: JOEL ROBINE/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1998  Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 1999  Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 1999 Naomi Campbell Photo: Trevor Gillespie/Getty
Oscar De la Renta Spring 2000 Gisele Photo: STAN HONDA/Getty Images
Balmain Fall 2000 Haute Couture  Photo: Pierre Vauthey/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2001  Photo: New York Daily News Archive/Getty
Balmain Spring 2001 Haute Couture  Photo: Thierry Orban/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2001  Photo: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2001  Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2002  Photo: Petre Buzoianu/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2002  Photo: Petre Buzoianu/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2002  Photo: DOUG KANTER
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2003  Photo: Petre Buzoianu/Corbis
Oscar de la Renta Spring 2003  Photo: Petre Buzoianu/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2003 Alex Wek Photo: Djamilla Rosa Cochran/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2003 Eva Riccobono Photo: J. Vespa/WireImage
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2004 Jacquetta Wheeler Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2004 Dewi Driegen Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2004  Photo: Thomas Concordia/WireImage
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2005  Photo: Arun Nevader/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2005  Photo: Seth Wenig/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2005 Karolina Kurkova Photo: Carlo Buscemi/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2006  Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2006  Photo: Gregory Pace/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2006  Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images
OScar De La Renta Spring 2006  Photo: Shaun Best/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2006  Photo: Andreea Angelescu/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2006  Photo: William Perlman/Corbis
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2007 Natasha Poly Photo: Carlo Buscemi/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Resort 2007  Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2007  Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Oscar De la Renta Fall 2008 Liya Kebede Photo: Catwalking/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2008  Photo: Catwalking/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2009  Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2009  Photo: Randy Brooke/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2010  Photo: Heathcliff O’Malley/Catwalking/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2010  Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty
Oscar De La Renta Spring 2011 Karlie Kloss Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Oscar De La Renta Fall 2014  Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images
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  • memory lane
  • gisele
  • pat cleveland
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