Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta is a New York-based fashion house founded by Dominican-born designer Oscar de la Renta in 1965. After early training in Spain with Cristobal Balenciaga and couture work in Paris, he settled in the United States and became known for refined, feminine ready-to-wear. The company grew into a full lifestyle brand that includes womenswear, bridal, accessories, childrenswear, home goods and, from the late 1970s onward, fragrance.

The first perfume, Oscar, was introduced in 1977. Developed with perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac, it is a rich floral composition with notes including coriander, orange blossom, orchid, jasmine, rose and iris over a base of sandalwood, patchouli, myrrh and coconut. Oscar quickly became the brand’s signature scent and anchored a fragrance portfolio that later expanded to lines such as Bella Rosa, Bella Bouquet, Bella Tropicale and Bella Soleil. Today, Inter Parfums, Inc. holds the fragrance license for Oscar de la Renta and manages the development and distribution of its perfumes internationally.

Throughout his career, Oscar de la Renta emphasized fragrance as an essential part of personal style. He is quoted as saying, “To wear perfume is a luxury. It’s about spoiling yourself with fantasy,” and told Elle that fragrance is an intimate way of expressing who you are. That viewpoint continues to guide the brand’s perfume offerings, which tend to favor classically feminine florals with polished woody-musky bases over aggressively experimental profiles.