Oscar de la Renta Spring 2009 – Part 2

Guest Blog by Liza Powel O’Brien

There’s no contradiction that hasn’t been mined exhaustively about the world of fashion: stepping over a homeless man on Madison Avenue on your way to the show; a gorgeous old church transformed into a theatrical space; pin-thin 20 year-olds dressed up in, as Tina called them, “ladies who lunch bouffants” and serious, multi-thousand dollar gowns. In some respects, then, my first (and possibly only) trip to a bona-fide fashion show did not reveal much we all haven’t seen before. And while it’s easy to dismiss fashion as a frivolous interest, what did surprise me was the true functionality of the event.

Yes, J-Lo’s entry caused a big stir and made Aerin Lauder (sitting one row next to her) look slightly exhausted as she was getting jostled out of the way by a literal horde of photographers, but overall the event was very business-like. But of course: The

fashion business is one of the engines that drives our economy, and to witness a fashion show is to see all the parts in motion, up close and personal. I was there to observe and enjoy but most everyone else there was at work: buyers ticking off preferences in their programs; journalists scribbling impressions in notebooks; models

posing; photographers clicking; even the bagsnob crew stayed on task, dutifully inspecting each bag as it sauntered past (A little white leather pouch was “cute;” the one in woven red leather with a long tortoiseshell link strap was “amazing.”) As for the clothes, de la Renta’s company is clearly working very intelligently to expand its brand identity while staying true to Oscar’s legacy. There was a smart black dress that Kelly “has to have” that would be perfect for a woman from thirty to sixty at any time of day or night. There was a liquid silver strapless gown at the finale that could be worn by anyone with a fabulous body and/or the right undergarments, no matter what her age. There were classic ball gowns and simple, striking frocks. There were some truly

amazing shoes.

At the end we grabbed a quick photo with Oscar himself as he ran to catch a flight. I was a little disappointed not to get to thank him personally for this whole experience, for my gorgeous Goya bag and for the beautiful favors his designs continue to pay to women’s bodies. I said good-bye to the lovely and entertaining Tina and Kelly and turned away from the whole scene which, in the space of about fifteen minutes, had been almost completely dismantled. When I drove by later that day, it was just a church again.