Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImageAs the fashion world mourns the loss of Oscar de la Renta, 82, those who knew him best are paying their respects to the iconic designer. Many stars shared their condolences via social media Monday.
De la Renta's stepdaughter, Eliza Bolen, and son-in-law, Alex Bolen, released a statement via the designer's official website Tuesday. "We write to let you know that Oscar passed away last night at home in Connecticut surrounded by family, friends and more than a few dogs. He died exactly as he lived: with tremendous grace, great dignity and very much on his own terms. While our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much with us," explained Eliza and Alex, who serve as the vice president of licensing the chief executive officer of Oscar de la Renta, LLC, respectively.
"Oscar's hard work, his intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company. All that we have done, and all that we will do, is informed by his values and his spirit," the couple's statement continued. "Through Oscar's example, we know the way forward. We will make Oscar very proud of us by continuing in an even stronger way the work that Oscar loved so much. We are working on the formal arrangements to celebrate Oscar's life. As those plans are finalized, we will let you know."
"In the meantime," they concluded, "thank you for your friendship, loyalty and support."
Vogue's Anna Wintour also paid her respects Tuesday in an emotional essay.
"There is much being said that his passing yesterday marks the end of an era. Not true. He was the most democratic man I knew and he would have lived happily and defined any era. He was happy dining with the rich and famous, for sure, but equally happy playing dominoes with his devoted staff," the editor-in-chief, 64, recalled. "His designs reflected his extraordinary personality: optimistic, fun, sunny, romantic."
Wintour recalled attending a summer dinner party, where de la Renta told her "fascinating stories about his life in Paris." At one point, she said, "The conversation became more serious and he told me he felt he had had the most amazing life and he was not afraid. This strength must have been with him in the hospital last week when he made the decision to turn off treatment; it was not the quality of life he wanted." The magazine editor visited de la Renta last weekend with her daughter, Bee Shaffer. "We laughed about Bee's love life. He gave her advice, and then he said he had a dream to see the allée and pond he had just designed on the grounds. He could no longer move, so we went out and took pictures on his iPad for him to see and ate a chicken sandwich with [his wife] Annette and Janet, his extraordinary nurse," she wrote. "His last words to me were 'I love you,' and I said 'I love you' back."
According to Wintour, de la Renta "never once complained about his illness."
She added that de la Renta was "so thrilled" to make Amal Clooney's wedding dress last month. "He was determined to come to [my son] Charlie's wedding, but was sent by his assistant to the wrong airport," Wintour wrote. "Yet he turned up with a smile and kiss at the last minute to put the veil on [my daughter-in-law] Elizabeth and send her down the aisle in the dress of her dreams. Every girl's dream."
Praising her late friend's wisdom and kindness, Wintour wrote, "He always said accept your friends for who they are, not for who you want them to be. Oscar was everything you could want a friend to be."
As for de la Renta's devoted wife of 25 years, the editor explained, "Annette was his perfect partner, creating those magical houses and gardens together, giving extraordinary seemingly effortless dinners, and always taking care of each other. She slept on a cot in the hospital every night he was there."
"Theirs was the greatest, most life-enhancing love affair," Wintour concluded. "Last week in the hospital he said that she never wears the beautiful jewelry he gave her, and she said simply, 'I have you.'"
Fellow designer Diane von Furstenberg, meanwhile, was more concise. "Oscar was a couturier, an artist, a gentleman, a true Renaissance man," she tells E! News. "His voice will continue to sing in our hearts!"
Harper's Bazaar's editor-in-chief, Glenda Adrianne Bailey, told E! News in a statement Tuesday, "Fashion, at its best, is about grace. In this way, Oscar de la Renta was fashion. Like his clothes, he was magical. How he will be missed."
Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky expressed their sadness, too. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Oscar de la Renta," the family tells E! News in a statement. "His singular talent and exquisite taste elevated American fashion, and his warmth and friendship will be missed by our family and all whose lives he touched in his extraordinary journey."
"Oscar's remarkable eye was matched only by his generous heart. 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. We will always be grateful to Oscar for the love he showed us, and for sharing his talent on some of the most important occasions of our lives. And we will never forget the joy, adventure, and beauty we shared with Oscar, his beloved wife, Annette, and their family during our many happy times together, especially those spent in his beloved Dominican Republic," the Clintons and Mezvinskys said. "We join his family and many friends and admirers all over the world in mourning his loss, while also celebrating his beautiful and joyous life."
Jenna Bush Hager shared her memories of de la Rrnta on NBC's Today Tuesday. "[My mom, Barbara Bush, said that] more than anything, [he made] women feel beautiful. I had the honor of becoming good friends with him while he made my wedding dress." Fighting back tears, she said, "I'm gonna try to get through this. I woke up to the news from my mom and [my husband Henry Hager] was like, 'What is wrong?' He was the most lovely man. So, when he made my wedding dress, he said, 'This is your dress!' And he showed it to me and he said, 'I'm going to do it whiter, but this is your dress," Bush Hager said. "The bridezilla in me thought—'I want to pick out my own dress.' But he was right. It was the first dress he showed me. And he said, 'And now, to the most important accessory!' and he handed me his arm and he said, 'The man.' And so I put my arm on his arm and I ago to walk through his show room."
Bush Hager said her wedding stills still "hangs in my house with so much love."
"I just adored him and I will think of him often," she added.
"America has lost a brilliant, enduring talent and a true gentleman. Oscar was a fashion legend but he was also my friend for nearly fifty years. I admired him greatly as a kind, gracious individual with a generous spirit who brought beauty and elegance to everything he touched," Nancy Reagan said in a statement. "My prayers are with Annette and the entire de la Renta family during this time of loss."
In one of his final interviews, de la Renta reflected on his legacy and the impact he'd made the fashion world. "I feel very lucky to work with such extraordinary women. It is a tremendous honor and a great pleasure," he told The Hollywood Reporter in September. "My role as a designer is to make a woman feel her best. If I have made a woman feel beautiful, then that would be my ultimate contribution."
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