Monday, August 17, 2015

Oscar De La Renta.

Tues. 02/17/2015.






OK! So, of course there was going to be a Lot of Sentimental feelings going round Chez ODLR for Peter Copping's Debut. Oscar was all too well aware his own time on this Mortal Coil was waning and he needed a Proper Successor, not just someone thrown into the mix by Proxy or even more Devastatingly, By Necessity! No! That would NOT Do! Copping was pegged and Oscar was at ease and could Rest In Peace when the moment that was Nigh Approaching, came! Come it did and we were all Heartsickened, Yet, as Simba was told, It's The Circle Of Life. Oscar wasn't fated to be here forever, and any 100 or more so of us could not possibly have collectively lived a more Extraordinary and Fabulous Life than He! I know, He went to the Afterlife with that Sly Smile on his face that was so Characteristic of him! 

Now, that we got that out of the way. Another thing about Oscar that pertains more to the matter at hand, He was a Friend of Karl Lagerfeld... Tenuously So, but a Friend nonetheless. And Like the Great Karl, Oscar had No Quarter for Looking Back or Nostalgia. He was as resolutely Forward thinking as YSL was Backwards Glancing! So, he'd have been the VERY last one to allow the Wallowing in Memory for him and Teary Eyed Sentimentalizing of Him! That just wasn't Oscar. He had that Balenciaga Rigour of a Steel Backbone and would be the first to point out that there was Business to be taken care of. Wipe Away those Tears and "On With The Show!" Damn It! 

So, On we went! Peter Copping had a lot of weight on his shoulders as to Just how to proceed at the house. Being of Like Mind, there wasn't going to be a Radical Reorganization of the Codes and Principles of the house. There would be Tweaking, Experimenting, Playing about... but Sweeping Change... Oscar wouldn't have given Copping the Green Light had he suspected that would be the case! What Oscar also did not want was a slavish obeisance to what had come before... he wanted Copping to be his Own Man (He was very Latin like that!) and to Stir things up, Keep It Classy, but Keep It Copping as well! It was the most Delicate of High-Wire acts to be imagined, The reward thankfully, was that Copping pulled through from Fore to Aft with a Brilliant Collection that Showed him Comfortably in the Driver's Seat! 

From the Opening Bell, we were shown that Copping got the Dialect right, The Black Embellished coat Screamed Oscar, But also was somehow Fresher, More... Gamine than Oscar. It was the perfect Amalgam! By the time Valery Kaufmann arrived on the scene in a Black/Red/White Jacket with Black Lace trim and a Flared skirt with a Deep Hem of Fur, We knew we were in for Smooth Sailing! Copping took every chance he could to inject himself into every outfit, They had something of a Dual personality in regards to that this was Obviously the clothes that belonged to the Maison De La Renta, but they had new accents and twists to their stories that showed another hand driving the Conversation! 

Moving Forward through the collection, There were plenty of pieces for one's eyes to Glaze over in Lust for, A Flawless Ivory Tweed Coat, A Black Cocktail dress with Crystal Embroidered Cap sleeves, A Sweeping Embellished Strapless Lace Gown on Binx that Stole the Show! And Tons More. Copping was pacing himself and admittedly, had only a bit more than 3 weeks to work on the collection, so any errors that may have been incurred where to be forgiven for the lack of time given to properly take in all that Was and IS Oscar De La Renta! As the show came to it's end, Every one who bore witness knew things were going to be Just Fine at the House Oscar Built. Copping is poised to keep the label alive and well for many years to come and is proving Oscar's faith in him as his choice of Successor was Indeed, The Right One! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

No comments:

Post a Comment