Orencio; L.A. Fashion Designer
Los Angeles fashion designer Orencio, a protege of designer James Galanos, has died at the age of 41.
Orencio, who went by only the single name, died July 10 in Inglewood of complications from AIDS and diabetes, Rosemary Stack said.
The wife of actor Robert Stack, she is well-known for her fashion consciousness and often wore Orencio’s designs. She said the young designer’s other clients included Frances Bergen, a former model and the widow of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen; and actor Ricardo Montalban’s wife, Georgiana.
Of Spanish, Greek and Portuguese ancestry, Orencio grew up in Los Angeles and met Galanos in 1976, when he was entering the fashion design program at Los Angeles Trade Tech College.
“We met at an art opening,” Orencio told The Times in 1983. “I called him after I entered fashion school and brought him some sketches of my designs to show him. Galanos was so honest with me, I was crushed.”
Orencio said the famous designer scolded him for drawing “what everyone else is designing.”
Remembering that the criticism “devastated” him, the younger man said: “I took the one or two sketches he liked and went from there.”
Orencio never worked for Galanos but became his friend, and routinely showed Galanos his evolving designs for his “dressy sportswear.” Orencio was also greatly influenced by Galanos’ own work, noting: “Galanos is a religion for me. His standards, his attention to every single detail, are my inspiration.” He particularly admired Galanos’ use of simple design and subtle detail and his technical expertise.
Early in his career, Orencio had his own design shop, but it soon closed because of financial problems. He then went to work for a sportswear company. But within a few years he returned to operating his own business.
“I went back to what made me sweat, cry, bleed,” he said in 1983, “but [it made me] feel satisfied when I finally got it right.”
Orencio is survived by his mother, Petra Garcia; a brother, Carlos Garcia; and two sisters, Dora Morales and Laura Rangel.
