Oscar de la Renta’s Posh Garden Party

Oscar de la Renta S/S 2011 Cheat Sheet:

-a decadent garden party
-classic silhouettes
-silk faille
-evening gloves, hair bows, and kitten heels
-lime green, light pink, glamorous black
-playful appliques
-‘50s feel; modern aesthetic

From a seat a few rows back from the catwalk it’s apparent: Oscar de la Renta is a man apart. The designer offered a fashion week finale far from the rush of the Lincoln Center tent. The celebs that filled his front row were top-tier editors (with a single flashbulb celebrity exception in SJP) and the mood was relaxed.

The start: drums, Spanish guitar, hair in big buns and silk. Pantsuits in swinging silk, tightly belted, and day dresses were in wide, elegant plaid or floral patterns. But the night looks were the most striking. The luxury of seasons past remained, of course, with a playful infusion of color and textures (lime green, pink, red and yellow appliquéd carnations, lace and sequins). In all their complicated construction with silk chiffon ruffles, floral embroidery and organza volume, they seemed lighthearted and youthful, especially when set to the music of the ’50s.

The capstone dress, a green silk faille confection with delicate pink appliqués and a voluminous pink silk faille bolero, tied together the most lyrical part of the show. The look was a complete Oscar de le Renta finish with dramatic tension (felt in the hair), playful volume and serious femininity. De la Renta seems to think his most devoted uptown clients are ready for pieces imbued with a light-hearted, youthful flair. Ah yes, aren’t we all?