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 gown for her daughter's debut. The ambassador's daughter -- and her dress -- appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine and Oscar de la Renta decided to pursue fashion full time. Lacking formal training, he apprenticed with the famed Madrid house of Balenciaga. He moved to Paris as assistant to the designer at Lanvin and then to New York to design for Elizabeth Arden. By 1966 he was as producing clothes under his own label. He became a U.S. citizen in 1971 and his business was soon expanding in all directions. His Paris show in 1991 was the first by a major American designer. His evening gowns have been worn by some of the most visible women in the world, including three First Ladies of the United States. He has received every major award in the fashion industry, as well as decorations from the government of the Dominican Republic, where he is renowned for his generosity to schools and children's charities. This podcast was recorded later that year, at the International Achievement Summit in New York City.