Former US secretary of state and first lady Hillary Clinton, for one, has been a long-time friend of de la Renta's. For 20 years, he dressed Clinton at monumental moments of her life, from her husband's presidential inauguration to Clinton's first American cover.

"And despite his best efforts, year in and year out, he's never given up," Clinton said at the gala event in April where de La Renta received Carnegie Hall's seventh Medal of Excellence.

"To dress a first lady is an enormous privilege," de la Renta said in an interview with STYLE this year. "When you design clothes, you often think of a woman in general, but in this special case, that woman is larger than life. She will mean many different things to different people. She is an icon."

De la Renta's stellar clientele included not only first ladies but also Hollywood stars, socialites and more who favour his dresses at parties, on the red carpet and even down the aisle - Jenna Bush, daughter of former US president George W. Bush, wore an Oscar de la Renta wedding gown, as did Kate Bosworth, star of .

The design wunderkind also won numerous awards, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America's (CFDA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 before twice taking home the CFDA's Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, in 2000 and 2007.

Speaking about all the prizes he has garnered, the modest designer shrugged and said: "I always say that I have the memory of a mosquito. I don't ever look back, but always look forward. My best work lies ahead of me."

The Dominican Republic-born de la Renta began his starry career in Madrid when he decided to learn painting at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. During his training in Madrid, de la Renta landed an apprenticeship at the atelier of Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga - who de la Renta still cited as one of his biggest influences.

"I still work today in the manner that I saw Balenciaga work," he once said. "A dress only becomes yours when you start manipulating it, which is what I do."

After his stint with Balenciaga, de la Renta moved on to a slew of prominent French couturiers, such as Christian Dior and Lanvin, before relocating to New York. While the European couture houses might have helped him hone his craft, it was Manhattan's high society that contributed to the realisation of de la Renta's American dream. Recommended by Elizabeth Arden - one of the wealthiest women in the world in the 1960s and definitely a well-connected woman in New York back then - de la Renta built his stellar clientele, which laid the foundation for his fashion empire.

For de la Renta, his muses had always been strong-minded women.

"At the heart of each collection is the idea of a modern woman. She is completely in control of her life and her destiny. This is a woman with an extraordinarily busy life and a woman who knows exactly what she wants," he said.

Modern women fascinated the designer even more than when he first started.

"The 21st-century woman is unbelievable," he said. "We have to celebrate all that women have achieved in such a short period of time. This is the most exciting time to be dressing a woman. Never before has a woman been so in control of her destiny."

Such passion for the belle du jour had also become the source of his inspiration. "My inspiration is always the anonymous woman on the street, the woman with a busy, full life. I think about her needs and what she will want to wear. My role as a designer has always been to design clothes that address a woman's life and make her feel beautiful - that is what continues to inspire me creatively," he said.

The design process, de la Renta said, had never been a difficult process. "I love designing. Every piece is special. I find so much joy in the work that I do."

He was releasing four ready-to-wear collections a year, plus two annual bridal collections and accessories lines. Yet you would still find him stealing the spotlight at fundraisers, parties and events with his impeccable elegance, intelligence and occasionally jazzy vocals - the designer was known among his close circle of friends as a good singer.

Addressing his Dominican roots, the world-famous designer dedicated himself to helping children in his hometown. His charity, Casa del Niño, cares for 1,500 children on a daily basis and also provides them with an education. "Every child deserves a proper education and the support of a family - whether it's the family that they are born into or the one that finds them," he said.

However, fashion was the thing that made de la Renta tick."I could put on the most spectacular show, but it doesn't mean anything until a woman decides to wear my clothes. I make clothes that address the needs of my customers, their many different lifestyles, as well as cultural sensibilities," he said. "Fashion, to me, is about making a woman look her best."

MILESTONES

1957
Works as an apprentice at Cristobal Balenciaga’s Spanish couture shop
1963
Relocates to Manhattan and makes his debut at Elizabeth Arden
1982
Establishes charity Casa del Niño for underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic

1992
Heads French fashion house Balmain’s couture and ready-to-wear collections
1997
Dresses Hillary Clinton for the presidential inauguration of her husband
2001
Launches accessories line
2004
Opens boutique on Madison Avenue, New York
2007
Shares CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award with Proenza Schouler
2013
“Oscar de la Renta: An American Icon” retrospective exhibition opens at William J. Clinton Presidential Centre