The First Collection Without Oscar de la Renta Is Bittersweet

Models wear the Fall 2015 Oscar de la Renta collection. Photo Imaxtree

first collection without oscar de la renta fall 2015 copping

Peter Copping had big shoes to fill today. In the offices where Oscar de la Renta built his business, Copping showed his first full collection since the beloved designer’s passing. The usual excitement of ushering in a new talent and witnessing his or her artistic vision for the first time was somewhat tempered by the noticeable absence of de la Renta. There was his stepdaughter, Eliza Bolen, greeting guests while clutching a white handkerchief, and Barbara Walters looking pensive in the front row. A stream of well-wishers made their way over to Annette de la Renta, the late designer’s wife, to pay their respects. (The typically reserved New York Times’ photographer Bill Cunningham gave her not one, but two big bear hugs.)

Even the appearance of Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss garnered a somewhat tepid response not only from the crowd. And they weren’t feeling chatty either. “My publicist is being really strict tonight,” Swift kept repeating whenever anyone asked for a quote. The normally effervescent Kloss also gestured toward her handler when approached for a comment.

Peter Copping takes his first bow as the Creative Director of Oscar de la Renta. Photo: Imaxtree

At each seat was a white folder with a letter inside from Copping, a touching tribute to de la Renta. “I am immensely proud to have been chosen as the Creative Director of Oscar de la Renta. Unfortunately things did not go according to our plans and I never had the chance to work with Oscar, which is something that I deeply regret. In this, my first collection, I hope to honor Oscar’s legacy and also start a new chapter for the house.”

So how did the collection fare? Copping sent out 55 looks, starting with a black cashmere coat with jet black embroidery, which was no doubt a nod to the fallen patriarch. From there you could really see the house’s codes shining through with multi-stripe tweed jackets and skirts, the most luxurious fur coats on the planet, and of course voluminous tulle and organza ball gowns that were befitting of old school New York society types that dotted the front row.

“I think that it’s an exciting moment for all of us, Peter is really is a lovely guy and obviously a very talented designer, but it’s bittersweet,” said the company’s CEO Alex Bolen following the show. “I keep looking around corners expecting to see Oscar. But, this is the next phase of our journey.”

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