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FW18; Major Moment | Oscar de la Renta
Happy Thursday all!
The Fashion Week recaps are trudging along….quite slowly I might add.
One has to wonder if it is due to the less-than-inspiring collections that showed…
But alas, the reviews must continue…
Next up is Oscar de la Renta under the creative direction of Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia.
Kim and Garcia, a duo who simultaneously head the casual and modern label Monse, in 2017, have been tasked with steering this heritage label after the passing of house founder, Mr. De la Renta himself.
On paper, it seemed a natural progression – the pair having worked alongside De la Renta in his atelier, studying his artisanal techniques and romantic aesthetic.
But in today’s uber-saturated fashion industry, quality is only one part of the equation.
The other?
Adaptability.
And again, a design team as fresh and current as this should’ve had no trouble.
But of course, not every transition goes as smoothly as one would hope…
And, while it took them a while to get their footing (although I LOVED their SS18 collection), this time – their third collection for the house – they seemed to have really found the sweet spot between their own progressive tendencies and a house with such deep-rooted and familiar archives.
The mood was very “enchanted forest” and featured lush velvety fabrics.
It erred on the side of conservative, but maybe that is the De la Renta woman?
Out of all their presentations for the label, this collection was the most rooted in the house’s ideals; it was all about creating romantic, pretty looks in rich fabrics that harkened to Elizabethan times.
In fact, it looked almost like a continuation of what Mr. De la Renta himself did – with the floral embroideries, whimsy et al.
And of course the eveningwear – typically the house’s strength – which has had a return to form and is sure to be a hit with existing and newer clients alike.
It will be interesting to see if Kim and Garcia continue this trajectory of a refined and polished De la Renta woman while simultaneously crafting a young, edgy freshness for their Monse consumer.
See the rest of the collection here.
Enjoy!
xx
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