Attention to Detail: Oscar de la Renta

The name Oscar de la Renta is synonymous to beauty, elegance, and fashion. We’ve seen his stunning creations on runways and in big store windows, and gushed. His style elevates femininity with grace and detail. And it was this attention to detail for which he was renowned and admired.

“He notices everything,” John Fairchild, retired publisher of Women’s Wear Daily, said in a New York Times interview. He did more than notice though. Mr. de la Renta was known to be a man who spoke his mind—even if that entailed calling out First Lady Michelle Obama for wearing a European label at the state dinner held for Chinese president Hu Jintao in 2011. The dinner was in aid of promoting American-Chinese trade.