Oscar de la Renta: Charlotte's Collection

Mint Museum Uptown, 30 April-1 May 2011

	"To have Oscar de la Renta come to Charlotte for this one-of-a-kind event at The Mint Museum is nothing short of fantastic." - Hillary Cooper, president of The Mint Museum Auxillary
		Black silk faille with lame silver leaf and beadwork circa 2008 (Collection of L. Weisiger)

The Mint Museum Auxillary is proud to host Oscar de la Renta as part of its annual Room to Bloom fundraiser, April 27-29, 2011. Mr. de la Renta will be presenting his Fall 2011 collection as part of The Art of Style, a gala fashion show hosted at the Mint Museum Uptown on Friday, April 29 . Oscar de la Renta: Charlotte's Collection opens after The Art of Style event and will open to the public on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st. The exhibition features more than 30 pieces from the couturier and donated from Charlotte collectors.  

Oscar de la Renta, the legendary and prolific fashion designer, was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932. He left at the age of 18 to study painting in Madrid, but became interested in fashion and sent his sketches to Spanish fashion houses. This led to an apprenticeship with renowned Spanish couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga. Later, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio Castillo in Paris to work as a couture assistant at Lanvin. From 1963 to 1965, de la Renta worked for Elizabeth Arden. In 1965, he went to work for Jane Derby, and took over the label when she died later that year. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1971. During the 1980s, de la Renta became one of First Lady Nancy Reagan's favorite designers and his reputation as a designer of spectacular evening gowns was cemented. Among the designer's many awards is the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1990.  In 1993, de la Renta became the first American to be appointed designer of a French couture house, Pierre Balmain. Immensely popular, de la Renta's signature continues to be creations that are elegant, wearable and classic.

Oscar de la Renta Fall 2011 Collection 

More Resources Online:

• The Charlotte Observer feature includes an interview with Mr. de la Renta by Rachel Sutherland.
• Legendary Designer to present Fall 2011 Collection as part of Mint Museum Fundraiser
• Oscar de la Renta website
• Reviews of his latest collections can be found at Style.com.

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Created by Catherine Craig, intern at The Mint Museum Library