Françoise de Langlade

[2] De Langlade was born in Paris, the daughter of an insurance salesman from Bordeaux, France, and a mother from Martinique.

She started her career in fashion with The House of Schiaparelli,[3] which she left to work at Harper's Bazaar.

[1] In 1967, she married Oscar de la Renta and moved to the United States.

[1] She is credited with using her established network of contacts to help promote her husband's brand.

The de la Rentas had homes in Manhattan, Kent, Connecticut, and Santo Domingo.