Oscar has left us. Long live Oscar!

Well this has been a shit year for fabulosity - Mr. Oscar de la Renta has died. As readers know, Oscar is my favorite designer of very pretty things and I will miss his particularly poofy genius. True, in recent years I have not loved the Snuffleupagus dresses, but still: the genius is always there.

Remember when Tina Fey got it together at the 2013 SAGs?

Or when Alison Williams finally looked great at the Emmys earlier this year?

Speaking of this year, let's not forget Zooey Deschanel's strong showing at the Golden Globes in January!

Oh let's hit some more red carpet highlights, shall we?

Kiernan Shipka at the 2012 SAGs

Has there ever been a more perfect picture of young womanhood? The shade of pink, the flashy bits, the grown up heels... Ugh perfect perfect perfect.

Emma Watson at the London premiere of the final Harry Potter film

Our Emma wore a lot of Oscar during the HP red carpet tango, but I had to chose what is quickly becoming an iconic look. Indeed, one of my dearest friends is using this look as the inspiration for her wedding outfit!

Oprah at the Met Ball in 2010 with the man himself

Glamorous, beautiful, perfectly done. This is one of my top three favorite Oprah looks.

Cameron Diaz at the 2010 Oscars

Never before or since has Cameron Diaz looked so stunning. This was my favorite look of the night from the 2010 Oscar Awards and remains one of my favorite classic looks of all Oscar (awards OR designer) time. Truly outstanding.

Let's be real, even the stuff that gave me the hives back at the time is growing on me... such as 

Marisa Tomei at the 2010 Golden Globes

Longtime readers may remember this look as "Slutty Anne Shirley" and that's still mostly true but it has grown on me in the past four and a half years and I must confess that I now think on this fondly as a chic break from the norm for award show red carpets. It's quite fabulous in retrospect, no?

But it wasn't just red carpet fashion, no. There was First Lady Fashion

Hill on the cover of Vogue, 1998. Looking fabulous in late 90s velvet.

Nancy at a President's Dinner in 1988, looking chic without looking too Dynasty.

And there was Coat Porn

Fall 1988. Couldn't you just die?!

Oh god, this might be too much. It's so beautiful, even with the weirdly disembodied leg of frequent 90s muse Christy Turlington. We all need this coat. Let's all get this coat and just prance around Philly all winter being fabulous and vintage.

Of course there was Sarah Jessica Parker as muse as well...

Full disclosure: I am pro-SATC show but anti-SATC films. Also I have been very much pro-Misha for my entire life. Love you, Misha, even with those ill-fitting tux pants.

I didn't love it, but it's definitely adorable.

I won't get into the bridal fashion because I feel that is a sacred space shared by me and my sister, but we can't wrap it up without talking runway and editorial.

Fall 2012

That's the shape of an Oscar. There it is, for now and forever.

Resort 1979

Don't you see? It's ladylike but fun and the structure is everything.

Okay, look at this  - this is part of that whole gross time when high end designers co-opted the plaid/grunge thing, but Oscar kept it pretty high end. 

Here's Linda Evangelista (guh) on the runway in 1991

(Eat your heart out Buckingham Palace)

And now here's the editorial of the same collection in Vogue later in 1991, still Linda:

How fabulous and fun, right? (photo by Arthur Elgort)

Oscar - I thank you for making things just a little more glamorous, a little more feminine, a little more sparkly and foofy. Your brilliance will surely be missed.

Oscar with Naomi, Christy, and pantsuits because 1994.