Oscar de la Renta caught the optimism of the season in his exuberant show, and as ever he did it his way, from the wild Pre-Raphaelite hair because he was sick of looking at the models arriving for their fittings with depressing, lanky tresses to the “virtual” high-heeled booties and the main body of the shoe done in clear plastic. Anyway, the very show has feasted our eyes due to the gorgeous dresses and fabulous gowns.
Oscar opened with a ball gown, or at least a breezy summer take on one, with a skimpy bodice of black cotton lace and a billowing skirt of mustard taffeta. That cotton lace (in white, like the Sunday-best tablecloths on an Aeolian island) was used for sheath evening dresses that erupted into volume below the knee, and full-skirted sundresses—and floral elements cut out from it were luxuriously scattered over everything from Chanel-esque silk-tweed cardigan suits to Infanta ball gowns.

Oscar does insouciant luxe like no one else—a candy-pink Persian lamb cardigan over ivory Oxford bags, anyone? An ebony sequin cocktail frock shimmied with white tassels? A sleeveless top fronded with lime ostrich over citrus chiffon sarouel pants? Like the consummate couture-centric designer that he is, Oscar thinks above all about his client, and from this heady smorgasbord that runs the gamut from a silvered lamé Fortuny-pleat evening sheath to a Sissi of Austria ball dress in white faille wrapped in black tulle, there will be something for each of his front-row ladies from Nancy Kissinger to Marina Rust to Nicki Minaj.