Oscar de la Renta exhibition premieres at SCAD

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Feb 10, 2015

The first posthumous exhibition honouring designer Oscar de la Renta, after his passing in October 2014, opened at the Savannah College of Art and Design on Thursday, February 5. The exhibition was curated by contributing Vogue editor and author André Leon Talley, who was a friend of the designer.

The exhibition, "Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style," features more than seventy ensembles from the designer known for his red carpet-dresses. They include pieces worn by stars like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Sarah Jessica Parker.

"Oscar de la Renta designed clothes for women who wanted to look and feel beautiful, at their most elegant best," says Talley. The exhibition is not a retrospective, but rather a way for Talley to honor de la Renta’s deep bond and relationship with his clients, his closest friends and family.

De la Renta was the first person to receive the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2001 SCAD Fashion Show, and a number of his designs are held in the SCAD MOA permanent collection.

SCAD President Paula Wallace says, "Oscar took a personal interest in our students. They have learned from him, and SCAD is humbled to commemorate his love for our students with this resplendent exhibit. The 2012 SCAD MOA exhibit, Little Black Dress, which traveled to Paris, also featured Oscar’s work."

In addition to the SCAD exhibition, Talley is at work on a book with the same title as the exhibition that will be published in September by Rizzoli.

The exhibition runs through May 3.