Meeting Oscar de la Renta

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://blogs.cnn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2010/02/de-la-renta-gi-art.jpg caption="Designer Oscar de la Renta."]

By Dashira Harris, CNN

I have admired Oscar de la Renta ever since my mother ripped a picture of one of his beautiful designs out of Vogue. I asked her, could she make a replica for my prom? She said yes, so – along with my grandmother – she went searching for the perfect materials - the beading, sequins, tulle – in order to create my perfect dress. And she did. Beautifully.

So imagine my excitement when six years later I’m standing before the man himself, Oscar de la Renta, and telling him the story. I brought along the magazine tear sheet (yes, I saved it for 6 years!) and a photo of my prom dress. He oooohed and aaaahed at the replica and smiled as I relived the story of my de la Renta-inspired creation. I might add, he insisted on "Oscar" instead of "Mr. De la Renta.”

While we were there producing a story how designers create fragrances, Oscar told our correspondent, Alina Cho, that he believes fragrance is an "invisible dress" and that smell evokes memories dating back to childhood, a more personal way to dress a woman.

The final piece of the story was a shoot at his runway show, where he revealed color and fur for his Fall 2010 collection. Seats were hard to come by, but when I told Oscar’s team the story of my prom dress, they secured a spot for me… and my mother. What a thrill. To see the models swoop down the runway, to see the iconic designer again in person, was truly a dream come true.