Oscar de la Renta first won renown as the designer of elegant evening gowns, but is now the master of a design and fashion empire that embraces women's wear, men's wear, accessories, household items furniture and perfume. Born in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, he traveled to Spain at age 18 to attend art school in Madrid. He originally intended to become a painter, but after working as a sketch artist for the city's fashion houses he became intrigued with the world of fashion. When the wife of the U.S. ambassador saw some of his original design sketches, she commissioned a...