Oscar de la Renta Dress for Success

To celebrate the launch of his home fabric collection with Lee Jofa,
Oscar de la Renta created custom ball skirts using fabrics from his collection. The skirts, which were used in advertisements for Lee Jofa announcing the launch of the collection, will be auctioned off for charity. The fabric on the skirts is backed in organza and lined in silk, giving the skirts the weight and tactile quality of a timeless Oscar de la Renta piece.

All skirts are a women’s designer size four. There are nine skirts and one caftan, size small, made from various patterns from the collection, including exclusive designs on linen and silk, delicate beading and embroidery, and a luxurious velvet and linen stripe. Each item is exquisite and a one of a kind collector’s item. The Lee Jofa website has images and detailed information for each piece, as does the site where the auction is hosted, Bidding for Good. Bidding will be hosted online through November 30, 2010.

With Oscar’s home fabrics priced by the yard at several hundred dollars retail, the opening bid of $750 for each skirt means they will mostly receive tons of bids from designers and Oscar de la Renta collectors.

Proceeds of the auction will go to Casa del Niño, which is regarded as the most complete project of child assistance in the Dominican Republic. Each day at Casa del Niño, every child receives food, full dental and medical care, and vocational training for the age appropriate – all in hope of a better tomorrow for the youth of the community. Casa del Niño is considered to be a model in efficiency and quality care.

The collection itself, which is now available in Lee Jofa showrooms throughout the country, includes 25 designs in silk, linen, velvet and cotton. The tailoring and attention to detail that makes his clothing so special is evident in these rich saturated hues, ethnic-inspired prints and hand-knotted embroideries.