Luis Álvarez Renta Republic. Arriving in Venezuela with twenty dollars and a suitcase, Álvarez Saviñón was able to re-establish his fortune in Venezuela. It was said that in Caracas, "anywhere you looked something had been built by Virgilio Álvarez." His mother, Thelma Renta, was the sister of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, and a major social figure in the Dominican Republic in her own right. Álvarez Renta studied in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, eventually earning a full scholarship to a Dominican University. He was also able to study in the United States, attending both the University of Michigan and Washington University
Francisco Costa (designer) enrolled in a language class at Hunter College and took courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology at night. He obtained employment with Herbert Rounick, whose Seventh Avenue (Manhattan) company made dresses for Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass. Costa went to work for de la Renta after Rounick's death, designing for the firm's Japanese licenses. Costa credits de la Renta with teaching him the most about both designing clothes and life. He remained with the company for five years. Klein's partner, Barry Schwartz, brought Costa's name to Klein's attention in 2001. Costa became the principal designer for the