At Oscar de la Renta, meditations on a multicultural Spain

NEW YORK (AP) — The designing duo at Oscar de la Renta, Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, presented a collection of relaxed silhouettes and colorful, eclectic clothes on Tuesday, a runway show they said was inspired by a multicultural Spain.

“We wanted to do a Spanish collection for Oscar but today’s Spain, the real Spain,” Garcia said.

The set they erected in the historic Cunard Building in downtown Manhattan was modeled after the mosque in Cordoba, Spain, Kim said — one of the oldest structures standing from the time of Islamic rule that ended in 1492.

Other influences in the show, which went from chic tweeds to a sumptuous black evening gown, included a touch of menswear for women, in the tweed fabrics and also men’s-style flat loafers, not a common sight at the luxury label.

Since taking over as co-creative directors in 2016, Kim and Garcia have been slowly loosening up and modernizing the brand’s aesthetic while maintaining its longtime focus on craftsmanship.

The tweeds that opened the show — a nod to the style of de la Renta himself, who died in 2014 — included such contemporary touches as midriff-baring bandeau tops under open jackets, asymmetrical long dresses, a strapless tweed gown, and an oversized coat.

The tweeds segued into colorful prints, and playful designs like an embroidered cocktail minidress with long fringes that reached to the floor. There were patchwork floral prints, on long filmy dresses or ponchos or coats.

Evening wear was sumptuous but still had a more casual feel, as in quilted satin gowns in emerald green or bright red. Standouts included a velvet tulle gown in hot pink satin, and a layered cocktail dress in black tulle with gold embroidery.

The party wear, Garcia said, was “a little more relaxed, a little more eclectic than you would find in a fall show. These are things you can wear in all sorts of climates. Velvets to chiffon, there’s a lot in there. Not one note.

“We want to make sure that your closet is as eclectic as the world can be,” he said.