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
Oscar de la Renta winner of the American Fashion Critic's Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973. De la Renta's talents received continual international recognition. Among them, he received the "Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the Year Award" in 2000 and in 2007 (tied with Proenza Schouler). In February 1990, he was honored with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed de la Renta with two awards, the Gold Medal of Bellas Artes and the La Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil. He was recognized by the French government with the Légion d'honneur as a