OSCAR DE LA RENTA (The Great Hispanic Heritage)

Born the only son in a family of six daughters, Oscar de la Renta was pressured early on by his father to take over the family's insurance business in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. But the young man was more interested in the world of art than in the world of finance. Nevertheless, his father's business savvy was not lost on Oscar de la Renta. When, as an art student in Madrid, Spain, de la Renta found that he was short on funds, he took a job sketching designs for a fashion company. Within 10 years, he was designing clothing with his own label and gaining a loyal clientele of wealthy socialite women as well as working women. He is the designer who dresses corporate businesswomen as well as first ladies. Today, the Oscar de la Renta name is a virtual empire, one that resonates far beyond the fashion world. Oscar de la Renta describes this fashion designer's life, how he came to dress some of the most visible women in the world, and how his father's business acumen helped him on and off the runway.