Oscar de la Renta Dies at 82

Legendary designer Oscar de la Renta has died at the age of 82.

De la Renta, who famously styled Jackie Kennedy, passed away at his Connecticut home on Monday surrounded by friends, family and "more than a few dogs," his company's executives Eliza Bolen, his stepdaughter, and her husband, Alex Bolen, said in a hand-written statement to People.

"While our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much us. Oscar's hard work, his intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company," the Bolens said. "All that we have done, and all that we will do, is informed by his values and his spirit. 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."

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De la Renta had battled gastric cancer for eight years. Just last week, he named Peter Copping as his successor at his eponymous label. 

De la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic but left at the age of 18 to study painting in Spain. He soon found his calling in fashion when the wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Spain saw his sketches and commissioned de la Renta to design a dress for her daughter. The gown ended up on the cover of Life, earning the designer an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga. After going on to work for Lanvin and Elizabeth Arden, de la Renta launched his own label in 1965.

In the past year, his gowns have appeared on red carpets 54 times, including Sarah Jessica Parker's black-and-white gown for the Met Ball. De la Renta also recently designed Amal Alamuddin's wedding dress for her wedding to George Clooney.

Taylor Swift honored the designer on Instagram, writing: "My all-time favorite designer has passed away. Oscar, it was an honor to wear your creations and to know you. In loving memory."

"The world lost one of the most extraordinary people that I have ever met," wrote supermodel Karlie Kloss. "Thank you for helping me become the woman I am today and for always inspiring me to be better. There simply is no one else like you."

De la Renta is survived by his wife, Annette, and son, Moises, who designs for the company. His first wife Francoise Langlade, an editor-in-chief of French Vogue, died of cancer in 1983.