OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Ask the best-put-together ladies in New York who the best-put-together man is and they will all say Oscar de la Renta. The former apprentice to Balenciaga was the first American to design for a French couture house (Balmain) and helped turn Casa de Campo and Punta Cana, in his native Dominican Republic, into famously jet-set destinations. As Fashion Week descends upon New York, he pauses to reflect on his talent for gardening, his love of Cervantes, and the enviable lives of dogs

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being at home with my wife, family, dogs, and friends.

What is your greatest fear?

Solitude.

Which living person do you most admire?

My wife.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Fear.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cowardice.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Living.

On what occasion do you lie?

Only about things that are totally banal to protect others.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?

Not being fit.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

"What's new?"

What is your greatest regret?

I have no regrets.

When and where were you happiest?

Now.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My limited attention span.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?

A dog, so that my wife would love me more.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Envy.

What is your favorite occupation?

Gardening.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Perseverance.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Loyalty.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Trust.

What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty.

Who are your favorite writers?

Cervantes and Balzac.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Don Quixote.

Who are your heroes in real life?

All those anonymous people who risk their lives fighting for noble causes.

How would you like to die?

In my sleep, dreaming of those I love.

What is your motto?

"Live, love, and laugh."