Precious little did not work in this assured display, whose charming core was the combination of applique and embroidery that gave a three-dimensional sheen and glitter to so many great wool crepe dresses and coats. One cashgora double face coat was bestrewn with mini white feathers; one chiffon pleated skirt exploded with rose bijoux. Attention winning, unsuitable for shy retiring violets, they both looked great.
The designer also riffed on several key current trends, like the apres-ski stole for the city, or the new hyper decorated bolero. De la Renta even played around with the tweedy puffer jacket, faintly referencing Montcler, even as he reinvented the genre.
His silhouette was lean at the torso, flaring out above the hips, granting great authority to the models. It's striking how so many of the young women on the catwalk clearly enjoy wearing Oscar de la Renta's clothes. They may all slip back into black jeans when they leave the backstage, but while wearing his fashion you can see they love the charm and class and subtle sass.
Heading into evening, as the sky grew black outside, he ramped up the color and proportions, wowing with a sculptural multi-ribbed pleated pink taffeta dress, wittily echoing the pale pink and rose hues that The Empire State Building adopted in homage to St. Valentine's Day.
That romance continued to the finale, with a trio of twirling tulle cloud dresses - the finest in faded rose - all proudly worn by the cast, all eliciting the sort of knowing nods and smiles that senior editors adopt when in the presence of a truly accomplished collection and show. This event was both.
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| Model walks the runway at the Oscar de la Renta show during Fall 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York |
