Let the rest of New York go punk. While other designers flit from one influence to another, Oscar de la Renta has made a four-decade-long career of staying true to his brand of ladylike elegance. All of his signatures were there for fall: lavish handiwork, smart day suits, ballerina dresses. You could argue that he had a few too many of these last and that the show as a whole ran a little long, but why quibble when there was so much here to please the Oscar faithful.
For fall, de la Renta focused on his tailoring, sending out a parade of jackets in metallic brocades, embroidered cashmeres, and lean, cropped shearlings. These were paired with simple, full-leg trousers or knee-length skirts, alternately embellished with rosettes and trimmed in fur. Of the latter, there was certainly no shortage. Lippi-cat and chinchilla coats with puffed three-quarter-length sleeves and swingy full skirts were two of his runway s most covetable pieces. His socialite clients will have to move fast if they want first dibs.
De la Renta has a master s eye for color—that chinchilla was olive, not standard-issue gray—but his most brilliant after-dark confections came in body-loving black. Strapless satin with velvet trim, passementerie and lace with a plunging neckline—each one was lovelier than the last and just the ticket for a memorable night.
