OSCAR de la Renta, one of the most sought-after ­fashion designers of the last half century, dressing American first ladies and Hollywood stars in his classic silhouettes, has died at the age of 82.

He was said to have died of complications from cancer at his home in Kent, Connecticut.

De la Renta was born to a prominent family in the Dominican Republic and went to Spain to study art, but was drawn to fashion and started working alongside Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

He made his name in the 1960s dressing one of the major fashion icons of the day, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and established his company in New York in 1965.

De la Renta was known as one of the industry's classic creators, famous for elegantly feminine designs marked by flattering silhouettes with full skirts and cinched waists, often rendered in soft hues and floral patterns.

Most recently, de la Renta made the wedding dress for human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for her marriage in Venice, Italy, last month to Hollywood actor and director George Clooney.

The slim de la Renta cut an elegant figure himself in the New York fashion world, where he was a favourite of Vogue magazine's powerful editor, Anna Wintour, and fashion-savvy actresses like Sarah Jessica Parker.