Oscar de la Renta is a name synonymous with modern casual luxury, mention de la Renta to any girl worth her Manolos and she will no doubt conjure up with affection, the image of Carrie Bradshaw and Alexandr Petrovsky dancing in McDonalds in THAT pink dress;
or of Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2014 Met Gala in bespoke and personalised de la Renta:
Oscar de la Renta has for years been the go-to designer for countless American first ladies, A listers the world over, and who could forget that it was Sex and the City that brought de la Renta to the modern girls regular vocabulary. The designer had a penchant for silk, and vibrant colours, and a subtle nod to the eighties. Originally a painter, he was won over by fashion and has a CV that leaves many designers in the shade.
The fashion world undoubtedly lost one of it’s heroes in October 2014 when Oscar de la Renta passed away aged 82, and many wondered how the house would continue after such an iconic reign at the helm. Step forward Peter Copping, formerly of Nina Ricci.
The NYFW FW15 collection was the first de la Renta collection under the creative direction of Copping and it absolutely stayed true to de la renta’s legacy. The A list were packed into the NYFW show space in droves and extra folding chairs were brought out to seat the masses who poured in to judge Copping’s debut. Copping primed his audience with a polite note advising of a “new chapter” at the House whilst also remaining respectful of the late de la Renta, let’s not forget, de la Renta died before he and Copping had a chance to work together.
Taylor Swift and BFF Karlie Kloss wore matching de la Renta tulip dresses as they took their seats together on the FROW and as one model strutted past in an electric blue floor sweeper Karlie was heard whispering “Beautiful…” with Taylor nodding in agreement.
The show had a much more youthful, light feel to it than shows of old, yes this was absolutely a de la Renta presentation, that much was clear, but this had a fresh new edge. Hemlines were higher and there were flashes of midriff on show through panelling and cut outs, this is fresh territory for the house of de la Renta. The collection was undoubtedly chic and feminine, as you would expect from de la Renta, Nina Ricci was the ideal training ground for this and Copping has showcased his skills to perfection with this inaugural collection.
de la Renta himself was partial to a ruffle or two and Copping has carried this sentiment through to the FW15 collection and has kept alive the essence of de la Renta through the chic and understated finishing touches such as a contrasting colour silk waist tie, velvet trimmings and of course the impeccable cut. Hair and make-up were kept simple, a deliberate attempt to keep focus on the collection.
This collection has red carpet written all over it and it marks the very beginning of an exciting new chapter for the House of de la Renta whilst maintaining the true originality of its namesake. Peter Copping may have just opened up the brand to a fresh new market, and I personally can’t wait to see how this unfolds. As a true die-hard fan of de la Renta I was sceptical, after all, those are big shoes to fill and that’s a big legacy for anyones shoulders, I can’t deny that my inner Carrie Bradshaw wept the day Oscar de la Renta died but his reign is far from over, with Copping at the masthead I can’t help but think it’s going to be ok.
Pixie x
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