"I'm not interested in shock tactics. I just want to make beautiful clothes," Oscar de la Renta said in 1963.
His feminine, frothy and elegant red carpet gowns had a far-reaching appeal, having been worn by Jackie Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, Hillary Clinton, Taylor Swift and Sarah Jessica Parker - toname but a few.
He also recently created Amal Clooney's wedding dress.
His wife Annette confirmed that he passed away in his Connecticut home, following a decade-long fight with cancer.
Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman spoke of the designer's enduring talent and legacy.
"Of all the designers in the world, Oscar de la Renta was the most reliable at designing clothes that made you feel beautiful," Shulman said on Vogue.co.uk this morning.
"He stuck to his conviction about how women should look - elegant, joyful, feminine - no matter how fashion changed, but his designs never felt old or hackneyed. If you wore one of Oscar's dresses you felt you looked your best, which is one of the reasons that he was so often a first choice for ball gowns, weddings and public appearances throughout the world."
