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I liked her olive satin jacket paired with a
lime-pink tweed skirt, her stretch leather fur-lined jacket and
her all-purpose cashmere check blazer (paired with a velvet peg
skirt). Her déco print cotton–velvet jacket also stood
out because it was one of the more out-there daywear pieces shown.
The masterful menswear influence in her burnt
orange long cashmere coat and her black long opera coat with fox
fur cuffs were the best coats in the collection.
For evening, there is still work to do to bring
her designs up to the Oscar de la Renta–Carolina Herrera level,
but Mrs DeVos shows obvious improvements with each new season. Out
of all the eveningwear pieces, the following best represented her
developing skill: her red silk–chiffon ruffled bustier gown
with velvet ribbon detailing, a black satin bustier gown with beading
detail and illusion sleeves, a medallion lace sleeveless top (with
olive silk taffeta ball skirt), an olive satin bustier gown with
button back (and bow) back detailing and a sexy purple satin mock
(turtle)neck gown with button (and bow) back detailing.
Ms DeVos is not yet at the high levels of almost
couture quality but she's heading in the right direction. A little
bit more seasoning and she too will be revered as Mr de la Renta
and Mrs Herrera.
Oscar de la Renta
OSCAR DE LA RENTA
(like his fellow designer Ralph Lauren), is such an established
figure in the New York fashion industry that we all know what to
expect every time he has a show: extraordinarily detailed handiwork;
fabrics that are rich and spicy, in cha-cha-cha textured colours
with designs cut to flatter the wearer. This is the Oscar de la
Renta design æsthetic; and at age 71, it hasn't failed him
yet.
For fall, Mr de la Renta played to his target
audience and gave them some of the most sumptuous daytime and evening
cocktail suits of the season, extremely luxurious coats for all
occasions, and wonderful evening pieces that truly lived up to his
reputation for dressing women they way they see themselves: sexy
and desirable. He accentuated his customer's curves by designing
terrific form-flattering, hip-hugging pencil skirts (some with decorative
feather accents on the hemlines) and bias-cut A-line shaped dresses
that ripple beneath body-hugging jackets, richly textured with beading
and other decorative accents.
A smartly cut, nubby grey dress is finished off
with a flirty feathery hemline, while a fabulous brown flared skirt
got a lift from a spray of guinea hen feathers. Mr de la Renta loves
fur and other animal skins—and actually knows how to use them.
He showed some to-die-for skirts with brown fur trim and he used
sable, shearling, mink, and other animal skins in places where we
expect them to be (fab collar and coat cuff accents) and places
where we were surprised to see them.
For evening, his designs were excellent examples
of why he has remained on top for so long in an industry that eats
its young. Every piece was designed to dazzle and make his women
feel enveloped in an aura of rich luxury. Yes, he sometimes can't
help himself from going overboard with the finery, but that is just
a small matter when faced with such beauty and talent.
He heightened the glamour factor for evening by
accessorizing his designs with jewellery from Fred Leighton, and
in a season where ruffles have taken a life all their own (Heaven
help us!), he tamed the beast without missing a step. •
Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor
of Lucire.
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LEFT: Pamella
Roland. BELOW: Oscar de la Renta.
 
  
Extraordinarily detailed handiwork;
fabrics that are rich and spicy, in cha-cha-cha textured colours
with designs cut to flatter the wearer—this is the Oscar de
la Renta design æsthetic and it hasn’t failed him yet
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