In an ironic piece of timing, the 92Y revealed it will be honoring the late Oscar de la Renta on what would be his 84th birthday on July 22. Fern Mallis’ June 6, 2013, interview with the designer as part of her Fashion Icons series will be repeatedly aired. The date is being taken very literally as the event starts at the stroke of midnight July 21 and concludes at midnight the following evening.
The announcement comes mere hours after news that de la Renta’s successor, Peter Copping, will be stepping down from his role as creative director.
Never one to bite his tongue, the very quotable de la Renta covered an array of topics in his interview with Mallis — from his upbringing in the Dominican Republic to dressing First Ladies — during the two-hour talk. His anecdotes — from spotting Rita Hayworth at a bullfight to inflating a job offer so that Lanvin’s Antonio Castillo would not just match it but double it — were full of the designer’s signature charm. Of relocating to New York in 1963, de la Renta said, “At that time, the designer was the little guy in the back room. I have to give the credit to John Fairchild. He is the one who said, ‘I’m not interested in the manufacturer. I want to know who the guy is who makes that dress.’”