A Fashion Parade for the River Oaks Crowd

50 Stunning Looks from Oscar de La Renta

By Shelby Hodge // Apr 18, 2017

Photography Jenny Antill Clifton, Wilson Parrish

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Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens provides a dramatic backdrop for the Oscar de la Renta fashion show.

White & black naive garden flocked gazar gown

Embroidered satin bustier with silk faille sash, wool gabardine trouser

Ermine coat

Milano pullover with naive garden intarsia fox skirt

White Silk faille and naive garden laser-cut black velvet gown

Multi-tendril embroidered black silk faille gown on the catwalk at Bayou Bend

Cashmere cocoon jacket, wool gabardine trouser and gold gardenia buckle

Wool gabardine jumpsuit

Wool gabardine cropped tuxedo jacket, gold metallic cording, embroidered top

Black dyed swakara coat with gold finish, jacquard top with metallic foil accents, jacquard leggings with metallic foil print

Black bonded sponge wool cashmere cocoon coat over brushstroke jacquard pullover and leggings

Abstract brushstroke Zardosi embroidered cocktail dress

Liquid lame tie neck blouse with stretch wool trouser

Liquid lamé draped front gown

Silver lame and red poppies embroidered bustier, silver lame and red poppies trouser

Silver lame and red poppies car coat, silver liquid lame tie neck blouse, wool gabardine trouser

Multi space dyed tweed dress

Multi-space dyed tweed zipper front coat, tossed poppies on heavy stretch georgette sleeveless blouse, dyed tweed pencil skirt

Merino wool cardigan with poppy embroidery over poppy brocade sleeveless dress

Nylon tulle cocktail dress with poppy embroidery

Tossed poppies textured scoop neck gown

Silk georgette blouse with flower appliques over black velvet skinny pant

Black sunflower lace illusion cocktail dress

Tossed poppies wool crepe dress

Textured wool dress

Wool gabardine suit with pleated trouser, ivory cashmere silk knit shell, silver Italian sequin corset

Italian sequin fish scale-embroidered cocoon-back top, wool gabardine trouser

Italian sequin fish scale-embroidered cocktail dress

Sapphire Italian sequin fish scale-embroidered column gown

Bonded sponge wool cashmere cocoon coat

Emerald textured wool suit with jacquard top

Cashmere cocoon jacket, wool gabardine trouser and gold gardenia buckle

Bonded sponge wool cashmere car coat

Silk faille bubble skirt dress

Sheared mink and fox coat dress with pave crystal gardenia buckle

Black velvet and naive garden flocked gazar cocktail dress

Ivory silk georgette cap sleeve gown with black corset belt

Black silk faille strapless hi-lo gown with gold gardenia brooch

White & black naive garden flocked gazar gown

Nude & black naive garden flocked gazar

Gold nylon tulle gown with petal card applique

Black nylon tulle gown with petal cord dégradé embroidery

Multi-tendril embroidered black silk faille top, black textured wool trouser

Black metallic cording all-over hand embroidered gown

Mimosa stems embroidered one shoulder gown

Black and citrine fruit bud matelasse jacquard column gown

Neon Citrine silk chiffon draped gown

Double georgette gown with bow back

Emerald silk faille trumpet gown with bow detail

Black velvet one shoulder gown with smoke crepe-back satin diamond embroidered sash

Though it was a balmy spring day, Oscar de la Renta‘s fall 2017 fashion parade that hit the catwalk during the second annual Bayou Bend luncheon had more than a few fashionable femmes checking off their selections.

Sophisticated day wear and dreamy ball gowns (along with a few nutty fur skirts) ruled with looks that easily won the approval of the Houston audience.

Women’s Wear Daily on the other hand was not quite so generous with is appraisal of the collection by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the newly anointed creative directors. “The designers took multiple tropes of traditional ladylike dressing and put them out there, as if to see what might stick. Some referenced Oscar’s body of work, but not all. Cigarette pants aspired to raciness. Sportif outerwear (a hot pink cocoon coat over leggings) looked Eighties madame, and reed-thin pantsuits, chichi glam. Some of the evening wear was pretty and channeled Oscar with clarity, if not a reconsidered perspective.”

As the Oscar de la Renta team would counter, the design duo brings “a youthful energy and cool confidence to the brand while honoring Oscar’s romantic artistry and inimitable legacy.”

A few of our personal faves: the over-sized gold gardenia brooch; the multi-trellis embroidery on gowns, cocktail dresses and evening coats; and the profusion of red poppies throughout the collection.

We’ll let you decide with the 50-plus looks from the show.

(The show and luncheon were compliments of The Galleria and Simon Property Group. Saks Fifth Avenue provided the immediate gratification with a trunk show on site.)