Very sad news came out of Conneticut last night when it was announced that legendary designer Oscar de la Renta had died.
The 82-year-old passed away at home from complications of cancer, and the loss has already left a prominent void in the fashion community.
In a piece for Vogue this morning, Anna Wintour detailed her heartbreaking last visit with the designer/her close friend, praising de la Renta's bravery and their last words: "I love you."
"And last weekend, Bee and I went up to Kent to see him," she wrote. "We laughed about Bee's love life. He gave her advice, and then he said he had a dream to see the allee and pond he had just designed on the grounds. He could no longer move, so we went out and took pictures on his iPad for him to see and ate a chicken sandwich with [his wife] Annette and Janet, his extraordinary nurse. His last words to me were I love you. I said I love you back."
You can read the rest of the beautifully-written tribute here.
Oscar de la Renta, of course, was born in the Dominican Republic before going to Spain to study art and eventually working alongisde Cristobal Balenciaga. From there, he made a name for himself in the 1960s, dressing First Lady Jackie Kennedy, and opening his business in 1965.
Since, he'd honed a reputation on his flattering silhouettes, full skirts, elegant cuts, and soft, feminine colours. He even designed Amal Clooney's wedding dress, and was a favourite of women in Hollywood, with his dresses being a staple of red carpet season.
More recently, he appointed Peter Copping as the creative director of his company, which he hoped would ensure "the right design future for our company and brand."
He is survived by Annette, and will be missed by millions.
