Oscar de la Renta (U.S. 2017)

Updated April 3rd: The Scott Catalogue numbers for this issue are

5173 Oscar de la Renta pane of 11
a. (49¢) Photograph of Oscar de la Renta
b. (49¢) Bright pink and gray fabric pattern
c. (49¢) Green dress
d. (49¢) Black and white fabric pattern
e. (49¢) Red dress
f. (49¢) Floral fabric pattern with dull green background
g. (49¢) Blue dress
h. (49¢) Floral fabric pattern with white background
i. (49¢) Yellow dress
j. (49¢) Pink, white and gray floral fabric pattern
k. (49¢) Pink dress

Updated February 17: The copyright date in the Technical Specifications was incorrect (“2017” rather than “2016”). It has been corrected below.

Updated February 1st:
Here is the design for the Digital Color Postmark: It measures 3″ x 1.3″. Here is the design for the pictorial cancel: It measures 2.97″ x 1.14″. There is also a “special” postmark that local post offices may offer: It measures 2.87″ x .98″.

Updated January 27th:
[press release]
Oscar de la Renta Forever Stamp Set to Take Center Stage
Feb. 16 Ceremony at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal in New York City

What:
The U.S. Postal Service is issuing the Oscar de la Renta Forever stamp to honor one of the world’s leading fashion designers. For 50 years, Oscar de la Renta created glamorous, sophisticated clothes that showcased the distinctively feminine attributes of the women who wore them. His innovative designs and close attention to detail elevated American style and brought international attention to New York as a world leader in fashion.
The stamp art includes 11 images — an evocative black-and-white portrait of de la Renta and 10 details from some of his most exquisite gowns.

Who:
Secretary Hillary Clinton
Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast and editor in chief of Vogue
Janice D. Walker, vice president, Corporate Communications, U.S. Postal Service
Alexander L. Bolen, chief executive officer, Oscar de la Renta, LLC.
Anderson Cooper, journalist and author

When:
Friday, Feb. 16, 2017, 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Vanderbilt Hall East at
Grand Central Terminal
New York, N.Y.
(Note: There will be no autographing session.)

Background:
In 1956, 24-year-old Oscar de la Renta achieved his first success as a fashion designer. The wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Spain commissioned de la Renta to make a white debutante dress for her daughter. Later that year, she appeared on the cover of Life wearing the dress. Shortly thereafter, he began working in the Madrid atelier of legendary Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga. De la Renta learned how to work with complex fabric, studied proportions, perfected draping techniques, and gained an understanding of garment construction.

After later breaking into haute couture fashion in Paris, de la Renta moved to New York and began working at Elizabeth Arden in 1963. Two years later, he debuted his own collection for the first time. A rising star along Seventh Avenue, he captured the beauty and ease American women craved in their gowns and suits. He mingled just as confidently with the socialites of New York as he had in Paris and Madrid and sought to create both the day and evening wear that such powerful and influential women desired. With his highly polished style and tremendous skill, de la Renta bridged the gap between American and French fashion.

His clothes reflected the duality of the American woman—feminine without looking fragile, authoritative yet still refined. He also had a talent for maintaining a timeless yet modern quality in his pieces, incorporating elements of popular culture and other societal trends. His garments were regularly featured on the covers of high fashion magazines and became glorious indulgences found in specialty stores around the country. His designs continue to represent the sophistication and international quality of fashion in the United States.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps. Oscar de la Renta portrait photo by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Photo of light pink dress by Norman Jean Roy.

The Oscar de la Renta stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated January 18th:
On February 16, 2017, in New York, NY, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Oscar de la Renta First-Class Mail stamps (Forever priced at 49 cents) in eleven designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 11 stamps (Item 562700). The Oscar de la Renta $5.39 pane of 11 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The stamps will go on sale nationwide February 16, 2017.

Most widely known for dressing the country’s first ladies and celebrities, Oscar de la Renta (1932–2014) was one of the world’s leading fashion designers for 50 years. This pane of 11 stamps features an evocative black-and-white portrait of the couturier and 10 details from several of his most exquisite gowns. De la Renta‘s innovative designs and close attention to detail elevated American style and brought international attention to New York as a world leader in fashion. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps.

Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Oscar de la Renta Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by April 16, 2017.

There are six philatelic products for this stamp issue:

  • 562706 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $48.51
  • 562710 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (2 panes), $12.95
  • 562716 First-Day Cover (set of 11), $10.23
  • 562721 Digital Color Postmark (set of 11), $18.04
  • 562724 Framed Art, $39.95
  • 562730 Ceremony Program, $6.95

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Oscar de la Renta Stamps
Item Number: 562700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 11 (11 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 16, 2017, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Derry Noyes
Designer: Derry Noyes
Typographer: Derry Noyes
Artist: From existing photos
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 11
Print Quantity: 17,600,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.09 x 1.04 in/27.56 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.23 x 1.56 in/31.12 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.64 x 8.63 in/194.06 x 219.20 mm
Plate Size: 99 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Oscar de la Renta
Back: ©2016 USPS • USPS Logo • Barcode (562700) •Oscar de la Renta • Promotional Text

Updated January 5th: These stamps will be issued February 16th in New York City.

from the USPS December 28, 2016:

Most widely known for dressing the nation’s first ladies and celebrities, Oscar de la Renta (1932–2014) was one of the world’s leading fashion designers for more than 50 years. This pane of 11 stamps features an evocative black-and-white portrait of the couturier and 10 details from several of his most exquisite gowns. De la Renta’s innovative designs and close attention to detail are said to have elevated American style and brought international attention to New York as a world leader in fashion. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps. Oscar de la Renta portrait photo by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Photo of light pink gown by Norman Jean Roy.

5 thoughts on “Oscar de la Renta (U.S. 2017)

  1. Post. Bull. 19 JAN 2017 USPS 5627 No Auto Distrib Sold as Booklet of 11 Only #10 keepsake (2) $12.95 #16 (11) $10.23 #21 (11) $18.09 No Cancellation images in the PostBull Early release…

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