Flags were at half staff in the Dominican Republic as the Caribbean nation officially observed its "duelo oficial" or national day of mourning for native son and legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta. He died Monday in his home in Connecticut after a long battle with cancer.
De la Renta kept two residences in the Dominican Republic country and invited some of the world's most famous figures, from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Vogue Editor Anna Wintour. The designer was described as "democratic" by Wintour for playing dominoes or having lunch with members of his household staff as breezily as dining with socialites and heads of state. He was known for his charitable work and generosity in his native Quisqueya.
De la Renta's death Monday night came as the Dominican Republic celebrated the inauguration of its Semana de la Moda 2014 - the country's Fashion Week. That night, the country's fashion designers called attention to a hashtag, #unacalleparaoscar, (#astreetforOscar in English), asking the government to name a street in the capital, Santo Domingo, "bajo el nombre del mas universal de los dominicanos," -in English, "for the most universal of Dominicans."
IN-DEPTH:
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