At the grand old age of 82, Oscar de la Renta, the iconic fashion designer behind Amal Alamuddin’s wedding dress and a whole host of red carpet hits, has died. De la Renta’s career spanned over 60 years, seeing him dress every cool chick from Jackie O to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in good old-fashioned whopping ballgowns.
Born in the Dominican Republic, De la Renta quickly became the first choice of First Ladies, dressing society women across America in uber-feminine daywear and packaging them up like princesses for society balls. While his customers may have been seduced by traditional glamour, De la Renta was far from behind the times, being one of the first fashion designers to engage in social media. His right-hand tweeter, OscarPRGirl, was brought on board as the social voice of the brand in 2009 and via Tumblr, Pinterest and live streamed shows, she has given millions of normal girls access to a label previously reserved for the privileged.
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Reckon the king of princess dressing hasn’t influenced what you wear? Think again. Here are the bits from his Autumn/Winter 2014 collection that you’ve probably already bought on the high street.
And if you haven’t yet, you’re definitely gonna want ’em now.
The Duvet Coat
If you have to get up when it’s dark and battle through what feels like Hurricane Gonzalo every day, then having a coat that allows you to take a bit of your bed with you can only be a good thing. De la Renta’s even has a furry collar, just to up the cosy factor. We heart River Island’s padded jacket, £85, which has fluffy tufts on the shoulders.
The I-Don’t-Give-A-Damn-Leather Trousers
Stuffing yourself into cystitis-inducing leather leggings is never a good look. But ODLR made sure that from now until, well the next fashion winds change, the only way to weather the leather look is with loose trousers. ODLR’s were so chilled out this season that they swept the floor – but unless you’ve got sky high legs, check out Topshop’s slightly shorter pair for just £35.
The Cream Chunky Knit
There’s something indulgent about a cream jumper. It could be the fact that you buy it at your own peril, knowing that every glass of red wine could incur a dry cleaning trip that you will never be bothered to make. But ODLR will make you want to wear yours with a black leather skirt and kick-ass shoe boots. Probably for the best that this Zara version only costs £35.99. (Excluding inevitable repeat stain removal.)
The Thigh Split Mini
Short short is no longer short enough. Now your mini needs a slit right up to your hoo ha. If you’re an Oscar purist, yours will probably have a ruffle, but if you can’t ratchet your girlie factor quite that high, check out this similar cobalt style from Opening Ceremony, £230, with a clever zip that allows you to control just how much flesh you flash.
The Biker Jacket
Dig out that black biker jacket from somewhere near the back/front/middle of your wardrobe – because it’s having another moment. If you want to update yours for this season, make like De la Renta’s laser-cut version, and sex up your lapels – studs can be bought to be used as buttons at craft shops. If you’re yet to buy one, check out Boohoo’s faux leather style for £30.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
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A Few Autumn Style Tricks That Don’t Involve Buying Anything
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.