Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta dies at 82

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, a favorite of socialites and movie stars alike, has died. He was 82.

The Dominican-born De la Renta - who also lived in Spain and France before coming to New York - was among a group of designers that also included Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene who helped put the U.S. on the map in the late 1960s as a home of serious fashion.

His specialty was elaborate, embroidered eveningwear. First ladies Laura Bush and Hilary Clinton both wore de la Renta gowns to inaugural balls, and Penelope Cruz and Sandra Bullock wore his work on the red carpet.

De la Renta catered mostly to his socialite friends and neighbors, but eyed more mass appeal with several fragrances and accessories licenses.

PHOTOS: Oscar De La Renta and his designer gowns