Daily Front Row

2007 September 10

Oscar de la Renta - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2008

(NEW YORK) Oscar de la Renta traded tents for tony Park Avenue this season, editing down his guest list to include only the crème de la crème and welcoming the likes of Victoria Beckham and Roger Federer (straight off his U.S. Open win) into his front row. He also enlisted the choral-rock-jazz talents of The Polyphonic Spree, a 23-member group whose engaging performance had the Park Avenue set and the editors in attendance enthralled. De la Renta’s collection this season was exquisite; inspired by the “the evolution of the woman, and the celebration of a woman being a woman,” even trousers had a feminine edge, whether in a cigarette-slim satin sheen or palazzo-pant cut. While de la Renta addressed the season’s trends of vibrant shades, jeweled embellishments, and safari motifs, the overall looks were nothing less than pure elegance. Cocktail dresses with slightly poufed skirts in floral prints and shades of lime green and turquoise added a playful lightness to the collection, while the intricacy of the beadwork on a gold gown or the delicacy of a long white goddess dress showcased de la Renta’s mastery of fabric and the female form. The finale gown, a strapless black and white concoction with a sprinkling of black feathers, leaves no doubt of the reason why de la Renta is the established couturier for red carpet regulars and doyennes of style.