A FINAL FAREWELL TO OSCAR DE LA RENTA

11/3/2014

Today, the sun made an appearance for Oscar de La Renta as he was remembered in a private funeral, held in Manhattan, this Monday 3rd November. De la Renta sadly passed away on the 20th October after an eight year long battle against cancer.

The service, which took place in the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola at Park Avenue and 84th Street was attended by politicians, designers, as well as a string of other high profile public figures. Amongst them was, Anna Wintour Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Marc Mezvinsky
Hugh Jackman and Deborah Furness, Diane Sawyer, Mike Nichols, , Annie Leibovitz, Matthew Broderick who was also representing his wife Sarah Jessica Parker who couldn't attend due to filming in Italy. As well as Lauren Santo Domingo, Michael Bloomberg, Barbara Walters, Rupert Murdoch, Leonard Lauder, Aerin Lauder, Graydon Carter, Robbie Myers, Linda Wells, Grace Coddington and the First Lady of the Dominican Republic Cándida Montilla de Medina.

Mr. de la Renta had such a huge impact on the fashion world and this was reflected by so many of the most prolific designers in the world attending the funeral to remember Mr. de La Renta. They included Michael Kors, Tommy and Dee Hillfiger, Gucci Westman, Karlie Kloss, Ralph and Ricky Lauren, Tory Burch, Stephen Burrows, Vera Wang, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammett, David Neville, Francisco Costa, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg. The retail industry was also represented by the attendance of Ken Dowling, Marigay McKee and Stephen I. Sadove and Karen Katz,

Due to the high profile figures attending the funeral, the security surrounding the funeral was extremely high with barricades lining the perimeters of the church, and New York Police Department on hand to provide security. Even some Secret Service agents were there to ensure all those attending remained safe.

Speaking of the day, Steven Kolb said as he arrived, “It’s a sad day, obviously, and I just feel lucky in my short eight years at CFDA that I got to know somebody as kind and talented and important to the CFDA as Oscar,”

Linda Fargo also said, “It’s a sunny day for Oscar. Oscar’s still with us. It’s a bittersweet day. We (her colleague Joshua Schulman) were just talking in the car ride over about how he was so elegant and set a bar for all of us. He handled his illness with such grace.”

Speaking after the service, Barbara Walters said, “It was a solemn, spiritual service commemorating a man who was so wonderful and giving,” .

Caroline Roehm said of of the service, “It was exquisitely beautiful and exquisitely sad,” “But the lovely part is that you get to see so many old friends. I just saw someone who worked at Oscar with me in the Seventies. There’s just so much love here.”

It was so fitting that Oscar de La Renta's farewell ceremony was so reflective of the way he lived his life, with love, and elegance. He will be so sorely missed.

For more information on Mr. Oscar de La Renta click here