De La Renta was born in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 18, he flew to Madrid, Spain, where he studied painting at the Academy Of San Fernando. Oscar's artistic side, however, would soon start turning ways onto the designing side. He showed interest in the world of fashion designing and soon found work with some of Spain's top fashion houses as a sketcher. A little later, he took fashion designing class with one of Spain's top couturiers, Cristobal Balenciaga.
De La Renta later moved to Paris, where he joined Antonio Castillo as a couture assistant.
In 1963, De La Renta found himself in New York, where he worked for Elizabeth Arden among others. That provided De La Renta with incalculable experience, which he would later need to launch his own signature trademark of clothing lines and perfumes.
In 1965, De La Renta reached his dream of launching those signature lines, and his life changed. As a fashion designer, he has reached worldwide fame and fortune, and he has been able to buy mansions in his homeland and the United States.
Apart from the signature Oscar De La Renta products, he was able to launch the Pink Label products, and has ventured into the world of women's accessories, men's clothing, sportswear and perfumes.
De La Renta's competitors in the fashion designing field include Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Carlota Alfaro, among others.