Last week’s annual luncheon and fashion show co-hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue and The League to Save Lake Tahoe was the perfect antidote for any San Francisco resident enduring this cold, cloudy month of August – especially since the fashion show featured Oscar de la Renta’s lovely Resort 2011 collection!
Oscar de la Renta
Mr. de la Renta is the consummate gentleman – gracious, handsome, and impeccably dressed. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, he moved to Spain to study painting, then fashion illustration, before he began his career under the apprenticeship of couturiers and fashion houses including, Balenciaga, Lanvin, and Dior. Each season women the world over treat themselves to his glamorous, feminine, and flirtatious designs.
Oscar de la Renta with his stepdaughter, Eliza Reed Bolen, wearing a gown of his design at a Metropolitan Museum of Art gala. Photo by Randy Brooke
August 7, 2010 Eliza Reed Bolen and her husband, Alex Bolen, arrive for the Lake Tahoe luncheon and Oscar de la Renta fashion show. Photo by Drew Altizer
Oh how I wish I could just roll those garment racks right into my wardrobe!
An intersection of fashion and philanthropy:
In the late sixties designer Bill Blass started showing his collections to a few loyal clients and friends at Lake Tahoe. This evolved into the annual fundraiser to benefit The League to Save Lake Tahoe – now in its 41st year. To learn more visit www.keeptahoeblue.org
Post Script:
Admittedly, I am a bit partial. My first experience in fashion public relations was with Eleanor Lambert. When I worked for her, she was in her 90s and still quite a force, whether in or out of the office. Recognized as the first fashion publicist, she helped to launch the careers of the pillars of American fashion design – including Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta – as well as Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and many others. On a personal level, she was very fond of Mr. Blass and of Mr. de la Renta. During her memorial service in 2003, Mr. de la Renta returned Miss Lambert’s sentiments with a warm-hearted and humorous eulogy, honoring her career and their friendship – as always, a gentleman.
Posted by : Edith Barker at 03:46 AM
Edith Barker & Pollyana Patel quickly became friends after meeting in Bangalore, India. Edith has a dual career in psychotherapy and fashion public relations; Pollyana is an image consultant, model, and the brand ambassador for Ritu & Rochana. They currently have two projects in development under Barker & Patel, and have agreed to join the FashionFad team to share their travels, experiences and musings.
