Oscar de la Renta remembered for his elegant designs, generosity

Editor Anna Wintour (L) and designer Oscar de la Renta arrive for the Diane von Furstenberg show during the Fall/Winter 2012 collection shows during New York Fashion Week in this February 12, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta dead at 82

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"We lost a fashion icon," said Marc Jacobs, while Vera Wang tweeted: "Oscar created a whole world of luxury, style and elegance all his own."

Actress Tina Fey described de la Renta as a genius. "You know, we've lost a brilliant artist and an elegant and lovely, kind human being and his dresses and his work will live on forever, I think," she told Reuters.

Nancy Reagan praised him as a fashion legend.

"I admired him greatly as a kind, gracious individual with a generous spirit who brought beauty and elegance to everything he touched," she said in a statement.

De la Renta was born to a prominent family in the Dominican Republic and studied art in Spain. He began his fashion career working alongside Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

His designs, which included full and pencil skirts paired with fitted jackets, dresses in pastel colors and floral prints and elaborate evening gowns, exuded sophistication and elegance.

In 2012, de la Renta won The Fashion Institute of Technology Couture Council Award for Artistry and took aim at celebrities, sports stars and actresses who are delving into fashion design, for their lack of formal training.

"I've been at it for 45 years, and I'm still learning my craft on a daily basis," he said after winning the award.

Earlier this month, de la Renta appointed Nina Ricci's artistic director, Peter Copping, as creative director of his company, which has $140 million in estimated annual revenue. It is a new position that he was to take up in early November.

Along with his creative talents, de la Renta was renowned for his generosity.

"His legacy of philanthropy extended from children in his home country who now have access to education and healthcare, to some of New York's finest artists whose creativity has been sustained through his support," the Clintons said.