Less than a month transpired between Oscar de la Renta’s Spring 2020 ready-to-wear show in September and the label’s more low-key Fall 2020 Bridal appointments this week. Those of us who saw both collections will notice some intentional overlap, starting with the first looks: Olivia Vinten opened the NYFW show in a blush tulle minidress and orchid blazer, and both were recut for bridal in shades of ivory. The saffron bubble dress that appeared later in the ready-to-wear show was also reinterpreted here in white, as was the longer, grander red version.
The takeaway isn’t that Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim are getting lazy; rather, they’ve nailed a sweet spot for dresses and gowns that work for many occasions, from cocktail parties to black-tie weddings. Some women will buy that saffron bubble dress for a spring gala, while brides will pick it up in ivory for their after-party. A girl who isn’t getting married anytime soon might just want that white tulle mini for her next vacation. The point is it doesn’t really matter if the tag says “bridal” or “ready-to-wear” these days.
The other news this season was the duo’s continued effort to lighten things up. Short dresses are doing well for Garcia and Kim (mostly for those aforementioned wedding receptions), and a tiered ruffled pouf was light as air. The bigger, more princess-y gowns felt easy and free too: Garcia pointed out that a strapless style with sheer, cascading ruffles through the skirt was actually a riff on a cobalt gown de la Renta first designed for Pre-Fall 2008. The original came in voluminous taffeta and was significantly heavier than the 2020 redux; this one will give a modern bride some room to breath—and dance!
