Could Peter Copping make a romantic out of any of us? His ready-to-wear collections for Oscar de la Renta thus far would seem to suggest so, earning the affections of even decidedly downtown types. He deftly walks a line between the ladylike codes of Mr. De la Renta and a softness that’s anything but patrician. Backstage at the house’s latest bridal outing, Copping emphasized no particular précis, but rather the importance of creating confectionary pieces for “lots of different women.” He stressed, too, a feeling of modernity. Consider an ivory column gown in silk faille teamed with a coordinating mink-tufted argyle bolero scattered with pearls, or a silk crepe shift—wholly bare, save for embellishments in feather and crystal along the hemline. His more overtly extravagant designs were equally winning; after all, some well-deployed drama goes a long way. You’d be hard-pressed to argue with one of the closing looks, a stunning beaded ivory faille number whose hemline crested high, almost sculpturally, at the hip to reveal a froth of tulle beneath. The effect? Nothing short of exquisite.
