The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

bitebookreview watched de la Renta at work in 2002. “I was there most of the afternoon and into the early evening, pinching myself with the realisation that I was watching a master at work, in the rarefied atmosphere of Oscar’s own atelier.” She observed the calm manner in which he worked without any notion of the chaos that sometimes occurs with some designers who have only hours left to a catwalk show. “In those five hours, we saw each garment, one by one, receive the intense attention of a bevy of expert seamstresses, les petite mains ,‘the little hands’ as they are called.” In the chapter entitled ‘Threads of Memory’, Talley talks about the gentle and appreciative designer who upon seeing anyone he knew wearing his dress, would often whisper in her ear, quietly, “Thank you for wearing my dress.” He reveals the reason behind writing Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style : “this book and the exhibition first pre- sented at the SCAD Museum of Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design is my memoir of the joyful and inspira- tional moments Oscar expressed in his world, in his designs, and in his dedica- tion to an endless pursuit of beauty.”We also learn about de la Renta’s wicked sense of humour:“He could be wickedly playful, like the time he went hunting for a huge tarantula, had someone build a big cage and hand it to me at night on the veranda.” When the news of Oscar de la Renta’s passing broke, it was indeed a very sad day for those closest to him. Talley explained the beauty and dedication of Oscar’s wife Annette who would often be found “curled up on the sofa in her husband’s hospital room, sleeping there night after night, never leaving his side” during his illness from cancer. Finally,Talley ends his chapter with the words: “I miss my friend Oscar. His life and his presence were an ode to joy.Throughout all he achieved during his long, industrious life, Oscar always lived as a happy human being, drawn to the sun and light where he found certain fortitude, a way of living, sur- rounded by his family, his work, nature, and his friends. Indeed, he made the world a better place for all who knew him.” The following pages show examples of de la Renta’s magnificent work and its inspirations including the 1998 Silk Taffeta Coat and Pants inspired by Rose Adélaïde Ducreux’s Self Portrait with a Harp 1781-1802, the Amber Valletta Dress featured in Vogue ’s June 2006 issue, and the Silk Coat and Dress worn by Mercedes T. Bass at the World Monument’s Fund Hadrian Gala in NewYork 2014. In the philanthropist’s short recollection of the man she was privileged to call a “friend and mentor” she describes the designer as a man of “elegance, integrity, taste, charm, loyalty and immeasurable sense of friendship” and ends with:“I am extremely blessed to have known Oscar as well as I did… Our friendship enriched my life so very much, and I shall miss him forever.” The last remaining pages shows more of his work and the personalities who wore them including First Lady Hilary Clinton and First Lady Laura Bush during the time their husbands were President, OprahWinfrey,Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman. Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style pub- lished by Rizzoli New York is a beautiful tribute to the designer who gave so much to the world. www.rizzoliusa.com Images courtesy of Rizzoli NewYork