Oscar De La Renta Remembered by De Young Museum

BY Annie O’Sullivan

@AnnieOSUL_

If you turn on an any awards show, whether it be the Emmys, the Golden Globes, or the Oscars, you will most likely see dozens of Hollywood starlets donning gorgeous designer dresses as they sashay down the red carpet. And while many famous designers often dress celebrities for these shows, no designer is ever as present as the truly iconic Oscar De la Renta, who has been worn by Audrey Hepburn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively, Jessica Chastain, and many more. Now, you can see some of these iconic designs in the new The  Retrospective exhibit on Oscar De La Renta beginning this spring at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. .

The Dominican fashion designer, who clearly made his mark on the fashion world, was known for his feminine yet modern looks, especially his evening gowns for women. He passed away in October of 2014, yet he still continues to be an everlasting presence both on the runways and the red carpets.  As many workers in the industry continue to pay homage to him, the De Young Museum has followed suite, and opened an exhibit to pay tribute to the huge impact that de la Renta had on the fashion world.

The De Young Museum is a highly exclusive fine arts museum that showcases American art, textiles, international contemporary art, and costumes.  Founded in 1895, many artists can only aspire to have pieces of their collections housed in their hallowed halls, and the fact that the museum is running this exhibition of Oscar de la Renta for two months demonstrates how influential he truly was.

The exhibition, which is a collaboration between the fashion house and Oscar de la Renta’s family, began March 12 and is open to the public till May 30. It features over 130 pieces produced by de la Renta throughout his lifetime, and is organized into decades and runway collections. Pieces are arranged by themes, some of which include early work, Spanish influences, and garden influences. Gorgeous couture pieces and ball gowns, which have been worn on world runways by some of the world’s most iconic individuals, will also be featured in the exhibit. Andre Leon-Talley, former editor at Vogue magazine, is the curator of the exhibit, so we can expect nothing less than perfection and high style when it comes to the clothes.
If you are hitting the West Coast after school gets out, or are simply looking for something to do, be sure to check out this impeccable exhibit. It is sure to be an unforgettable experience!