Oscar de la Renta: 1932—: Fashion Designer

Throughout the following decades, the Oscar de la Renta organization continued to grow, as did de la Renta's personal fame. The company spread its operations into Europe, Asia, South America, and North America. Product lines expanded to include a wide range of products bearing the signature of Oscar de la Renta, including perfume, jewelry, shoes, and swim-wear. In 1969 fashion giant Richton International bought de la Renta's company, and for the next four years de la Renta served as a member of the Richton board of directors and as chief executive officer of four divisions: Richton's Oscar de la Renta Couture, Oscar de la Renta II, Oscar de la Renta Furs, and Oscar de la Renta Jewelry. As a result, through Richton, Oscar de la Renta became the first fashion company in the United States to offer its stock to the public. However, in 1973 de la Renta reclaimed ownership of his organization, which became Oscar de la Renta Limited.

Throughout his career, de la Renta continued to push into new territory in the fashion industry. In 1966 he launched an innovative line of designer ready-to-wear clothing that carried a moderate price tag. He also was one of the first designers of women's clothes to delve into designing clothing for men. In 1977 de la Renta introduced his first fragrance, "Oscar." The perfume was a commercial success, becoming one of the top five fragrances sold in the United States. De la Renta also launched a men's fragrance, "Pour Lui," which also became popular among consumers. By the mid-1990s, fragrances made up one third of de la Renta's business. In May of 2002 de la Renta launched a new women's fragrance, "Intrusion," introduced to symbolize the allure and feminine power of women. In 1993 the French couture House of Balmain, which had lost its financial footing after the death of its founder Pierre Balmain in 1982 and increased competition from ready-to-wear designers, asked de la Renta to serve as its lead designer. It was the first time an American (de la Renta received his U.S. citizenship in the 1970s) had ever been at the helm of a French couture firm.