Oscar De La Renta Brocade Dress

The name Oscar de la Renta is synonymous with enduring originality in fashion, and his work deeply influenced other designers throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Vintage Oscar de la Renta evening dresses and gowns — which often feature ruffles, dazzling prints, vibrant colors and dramatic silhouettes — exude elegant sophistication and femininity, while his exquisite scarves and shoes rounded out his sought-after collections.

De la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932. He was the youngest of seven children, the rest of whom were girls. At the age of 18, he left home for Madrid and studied painting at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. A natural talent for illustration earned him an apprenticeship with the legendary Spanish fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

In 1961, de la Renta visited Paris, where he was hired as a couture assistant at Lanvin. Less than two years later, he moved to New York City. He designed a ready-to-wear collection for Elizabeth Arden and partnered with Jane Derby. He also began designing dresses for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. When Derby died in 1965, the label was named after de la Renta (he took full control in the 1970s). Shortly after, he married an editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Françoise de Langlade, whose own career in fashion began at Elsa Schiaparelli’s fashion house.

De la Renta served as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 1973–76, and again from 1986–88. In 1981, the tradition of de la Renta dressing First Ladies continued. He quickly became one of Nancy Reagan’s favorite designers (as well as her lifelong friend).

De la Renta expanded his clothing lines throughout the 1990s but kept true to his feminine, polished style. He also continued to design for the First Ladies of the United States, and his pieces were worn by both Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush. At Balmain, de la Renta was the first Dominican to design for a French couture house.

Over the course of his career, de la Renta earned the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Coty Award and the Fragrance Foundation’s Perennial Success Award. He passed away in 2014.

In 2015, the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Fashion + Film showcased more than 80 of de la Renta's gowns at its inaugural exhibit.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Oscar de la Renta suits, blouses, accessories and handbags.

With entire museum exhibitions dedicated to examining fashion designers and their creations, we’re finally recognizing that costuming is art. Evening dresses over time have conveyed specific statements about social class, position and beliefs. Fashion is a powerful means of self-expression, and sophisticated vintage evening dresses and gowns by our favorite couturier play no small role in making us feel wonderful but, perhaps more importantly, making us feel like ourselves.

In the 16th century, dresses and gowns were so important that England's Queen Elizabeth I defined rules about what dresses women could wear — guidance included long skirts and fitted bodices. Forward-thinking designers have responded to this history.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel reimagined traditionally masculine garments for feminine shapes, and her elegant evening dresses and gowns promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by layers of fabric. Christian Dior's gowns celebrated luxury and femininity in the late 1940s — and gave to women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of the war. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent introduced innovative and highly coveted dress designs in the 1960s while at the same time challenging sexist stereotypes about which members of society could wear tuxedos.

Works by unconventional British designer John Galliano — featured in houses like Givenchy and Dior — redefined limits that dressmakers faced in terms of material, construction and vision during the late 20th century. From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless Dior newspaper dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably collectible and newsworthy

Today’s designers target an increasingly broad audience with their boundary-crossing work, and their tendency to play off of each other’s ideas means that every walk down the runway is also a walk through an entire history of fashion design and dress craftsmanship.

Whether you gravitate toward backless maxi dresses or silk charmeuse gowns by Alexander McQueen or embellished, ruffled floral-print designs by Chloe or Versace, there is an extraordinary collection of vintage and designer evening dresses and gowns waiting for you on 1stDibs.