R.I.P. Oscar de la Renta

The news was broken to me by a friend: "Oscar died".  At first I was racking my brain for an actor I knew named Oscar, until my friend sent the crushing words, "The fashion designer". That's when my heart dropped.  With suddenly cold hands, I immediately Googled what I knew I wouldn't want to believe.  Last night, Oscar de la Renta passed away.

I have been following this prolific designer ever since I started my blog four years ago.  I was completely amazed by his elegance.  He was a designer for the ladies of high society, and I adored how he always stayed true to old-school ballroom sophistication. There are few designers out there who dare have such an unabashedly uptown aesthetic, but de la Renta made clothing for grown ups, and I always respected him for that.  

Sometimes I wonder how the passing of designers can have such an impact on me, but then I realize it's because they've touched me emotionally. As any creative person will know, putting out a piece of work comes with great vulnerability.  Designers bare their soul to us every season, and every fashion show becomes an intimate exchange. I may not have known de la Renta personally, but his creativity knows no physical boundaries.

After learning that de la Renta had passed the reins of his namesake label earlier this month to Peter Copping, I am comforted to know de la Renta was ready to let go. To the man who left both his design house and the world with utmost grace and dignity, may you R.I.P.

Image Source: MissInfo

Fall/Winter 2013 RTW

It's time to accept I need to make some changes to the way I do my Fashion Week Marathons, which obviously haven't been happening at all. I can't do justice to collections without proper comprehensive reviews, yet at the same time, I have so little time to allot to blogging now that I rather condense my thoughts than not get my thoughts out at all (I would burst without somewhere to vent my opinions, so thank you Red-Soled Fashionista for saving me from fashion angst). As you can see, I've also changed up the design of my blog a little. You might recall I said that I've always cared more about the content of my blog than its design, and trust me, that hasn't changed! But now that I've acquired Photoshop skills that I didn't have two years ago, it's time for my blog to reflect my growth. So here's another way I'm reflecting the change in my lifestyle: my Fall/Winter 2013 RTW summary. I'm forgoing the naive years when I typed out detailed collection reviews, and sharing with you my quick thoughts on standout collections:

Givenchy

Bambi at Givenchy, ladies and gents. I love it.  I don't generally squeal like a little girl over cute cartoons, but this is different. Bambi grunge is how the cool girls do it.  Beyond the Bambi print, it was really the oversized sweater and sheer skirt combos that I found to be so appealing. Give me any of the sweaters from the collection, seriously, any!  This collection was rich with textures and prints, and the deconstructed peplums kicked the prim and proper ones of yester-season out of the spotlight. The last time I fell for a RTW collection from Givenchy was Spring/Summer 2012, so this collection is very exciting. Judging from the loud cheers from the audience, I think they would agree.

Watch the full show here.

Balenciaga

I, among many others, was quite anxious to see what the newly appointed Alexander Wang would make of Balenciaga. Now that I've seen his first collection, however, I am slightly less enthused. The overall silhouettes were simple and underwhelming, but don't get me wrong, I do see potential. The construction was impressive, with pinched shoulders and "unzipped" backs that looked as if they might slip right off, but at the same time, were extremely sturdy. For the arbiter of New York street fashion to suddenly take the reins of a prestigious couture house takes time. I applaud Wang for showing us his versatility - his ability to rise up to changing expectations - for I didn't catch much of his own aesthetic in these clothes. I believe he will adapt to the Balenciaga brand, and once he does, he will experiment to great effect.

Watch the full show here.

Louis Vuitton

It took me a while to get into this collection, but looking back, I appreciate it so much. This collection was rich with undertones, so excuse me if I ramble on in awe. Firstly, the silky slips peeping out from mannish coats - the sexual tension could not be more palpable. It wasn't tacky in any way though; this was a woman of composure, stalking the streets with her supple leather bags and hems lightly dusted with sequins. But at the same time, this was not a woman of complete power. There was a hint of shame as she walked the streets of night back home. What happened, we wonder, behind those closed hotel doors? Her face was void of light, and even the music, however beautiful, was disconcerting. This was Marc Jacob's most provocative show yet, despite its muted demeanor. Luckily, Jacobs drew us from our melancholy contemplation by taking a bow in a set of red pajamas. The message of the show: our most intimate moments.

Watch the full show here.

Oscar de la Renta

So many things to touch on in this collection! My first thoughts as the show started actually had nothing to do with the clothes. It was "Oh my gosh, it's Jeanne Beker front row!", then "Ah, there's Bill Cunningham across from her! Aww he's smiling."  And then I noticed what they were both smiling at: a turquoise bar jacket ensemble. Wait, did I say bar jacket?  Yes, because guess who was backstage?  None other than John Galliano, who Oscar de la Renta invited last month to be a designer-in-residence. We assume he pitched into this collection, as there were definitely hints of signature Galliano. If we focus on just de la Renta for a second, I would like to say that this collection was a complete relief for me. For the past couple of seasons, de la Renta has unsuccessfully tried to appeal to a younger market with messy modifications to his otherwise clean design talent. This season, it was finally back to what de la Renta does best. Now if we focus on Galliano, I could almost cry. I've been so deprived of Galliano's designing that this collection is like a gem to me. However, if we take de la Renta and Galliano together, the collection ultimately becomes a slightly confusing, disjointed compilation. But under the circumstances, I can let that pass.

Watch the full show here.

Marchesa

Marchesa used to be one of the collections I most looked forward to. Every look used to be so flawless and stunning that I even dreamed of wearing a Marchesa dress to grad. I adored their romantic touches, exquisite construction, and at times, hauntingly ethereal dresses. Nonetheless, lately, Marchesa has taken a turn for the worse. Ever since Spring/Summer 2012, when Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig ditched their beautiful fashion presentations for runway shows, their designs have strangely also gone in decline. Spring 2012 and Fall 2012 were still quite striking, even if less intriguing. In Spring 2013, the decline was more obvious - an unappealing attempt at mashing all the decorations of India into short dresses and pants (pants at Marchesa??), or exaggerating their opulence into Hollywood gowns. And here we are a Fall 2013, where the draping has gone haywire, bunching at the most unflattering of places. The construction is messy, and all I can do is describe this collection in one word: wrinkled. There was at most a total of three good looks - much fewer than there used to be.

See the entire collection here.


That is surprisingly all for now! There are a large number of shows this season that aren't posted on Youtube in HD, and I never watch clips unless it covers the full show and it's in good quality. Otherwise, you fail to get a solid understanding of the collection, and you end up missing out on a lot of fascinating details if a blurry model walks past you at 360p or 480p. Marchesa is obviously the exception here, as I couldn't help but say something about the collection. More to come if I find myself itching to become vocal again about Fall/Winter 2013, and as always, I welcome any requests for collection reviews!

Image Source: Style.com

Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2011

I can't believe that so soon after the Spring/Summer 2011 shows, select designers are churning out their Pre-Fall 2011 collections.  I don't often follow Pre-Fall shows, because if I followed all the different types of collections there are in a year, I doubt I'd have time for anything else!  But considering the popularity of Oscar de la Renta's Spring/Summer 2011 show, I've decided to take a quick look at what de la Renta has given us for Pre-Fall.

His show started off with classic A-line dresses and coats with bows and frayed detailing.  Tweed tended to be his fabric of choice:

Then the dresses started to appear with a slim pencil skirt, or an even wider A-line:

What follows is an effortless transition between prim and proper to something less restricted (but still sophisticated):

As evening rolled around, de la Renta brought out black gowns with shots of neon pink, and full-on coloured gowns:

All of a sudden, de la Renta pulled back from the fun to bring out light pastel gowns, worthy of any royal queen (or queen-to-be...hmm...):

Although Pre-Fall didn't produce the jaw-dropping moments that his Spring show did, it comes to no surprise that de la Renta gave us more polished and proper ensembles.  He caters very well to high-class socialites, and it seems as if he has no intention whatsoever of straying far from his loyal consumers.

Watch the entire show here, in somewhat poor quality.

Image Source: Style.com

Oscar de la Renta Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

It seems like several of you enjoyed Oscar de la Renta's collection for Spring/Summer 2011 as much as I did, and so here is a look at more of the pieces.  Considering this is a Spring collection, what could be more fitting than a ladylike walk through the gardens of Oscar de la Renta?

This collection was all about classic, simple pieces that would last any proper lady for years to come.

Jaws started to drop in the front row as evening came around and not a bit of elegance was spared.

There were so many dresses worth showing you in this collection, but I think I've posted quite a bit already!  Oscar de la Renta never skimps on elegance and sophistication, and am I ever glad he stuck with what he does best.

Watch Part 1 of the show here, and Part 2 here to check out all the other jaw-droppers I didn't post.

Image Source: Style.com