My ticket to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts included admission to the exhibit. My ticket was $20 which included admission to all of the Museum’s art collections as well as The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta exhibit.
This exhibit was at MFAH from Oct 8, 2017, to Jan 28, 2018.
I believe that the MFAH was the perfect place to exhibit the lifelong history and work of de la Renta considering where he drew his inspiration from.
“De la Renta often drew inspiration from nature, art history, diverse cultures, and the women who wore his clothes,” – The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta was curated by André Leon Talley, contributing editor and former editor-at-large at Vogue Magazine and a lifelong friend of the designer.
Audio Tour
The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta Event included an audio tour. I found the audio tour to be a crucial part of why I enjoyed the exhibit so much. It included so much information about Oscar de la Renta’s life and was voiced by Talley and other influential people in de la Renta’s life.
Inspirations
The exhibit explained how de la Renta was a lifetime gardener who was inspired by botanical themes.
“A garden is possibly the most spiritual and pure joys. It’s a communion with nature and beauty in the most simple and fundamental forms,” Oscar de la Renta.
The exhibit said that de la Renta was inspired by the 18th-century French style of Queen Marie-Antoinette.
“Pierre Balmain by Oscar de la Renta”
This was a Cocktail dress for the Spring/Summer 1998 collection. “The fabric design for this dress is based on the historical pattern in Marie-Antoinette’s bedchamber at Versailles.”
Another one of my favorite parts of the exhibit was the wedding dresses that were on display.
“The floral-embellished wedding dresses he created for his stepdaughter Eliza Bolen’s wedding in his Connecticut garden exemplifies de la Renta’s ability to connect nature with the most special of occasions. The extraordinary gown that Amal Clooney wore to her 2014 wedding was the final custom wedding dress that Oscar de la Renta created before his death.”
ICONS
“What I try to do in my design is to make a women dream,” Oscar de la Renta.
The numerous icons, from various types of industries, often chose to wear the creations of Oscar de la Renta to their events and social gatherings.
“Oscar de la Renta’s vision for evening-wear exudes romance, and his designs are the ultimate expression of femininity and elegance.”
Even though de la Renta had many extraordinary in his life that wore his clothes, every designer has one muse that always shines brighter.
“Yet his ultimate muse was his wife, Annette de la Renta, whose personal style is reflected in the custom pieces he created exclusively for her, including two sumptuous evening coats that she wore to dramatic effect.”
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing, seeing and learning all about Oscar de la Renta’s life and accomplishments. He was a talented designer whose designs are works of art that I believe will stand the test of time.
For more information about the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston click here.
These dresses are so incredibly beautiful! I wish some of the details of vintage fashion were still popular. I love the gown with the large bow lol
That must have been amazing to get to tour that exhibit. The dresses look amazing!