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Oscar de la Renta's Pre-Fall Spectacular

Forget subtle. If it’s understated you’re after in the early months of fall next year, Oscar de la Renta might not be the answer. His Pre-Fall 2010 collection, which he showed in a Park Avenue church on Monday, Dec. 7, in New York, was an explosion of pop colors, nubby textures, embroidered patchwork and sequin embellishments - for day or night.

Through the exuberant collection, de la Renta indicated that at least on the outside, he thought his customers were tired of the doom and gloom of recent months and were ready for something more upbeat and spectacular.

Colors ranged from canary to turquoise to vermillion to pink, and de la Renta piled on the mix-and-match concept - a tweed jacket might be paired with an embroidered patchwork skirt, or a vermillion embroidered sweater would be layered over a turquoise print dress.

For those less keen on making such a strong color statement, there were nude silk chiffon or organza blouses, cozy grey cashmere cardigans and black denim or heather grey flannel toreador pants and wardrobe staples like de la Renta’s elegant navy tweed and white boucle block suits.

But the predominant silhouette was de la Renta at his feminine best, the trim cardigan and full skirt that emphasized the natural waist paired with a polished-looking coat. It’s the type of look often seen on first lady Michelle Obama.

If de la Renta’s day could be characterized as haute gypsy, then for night, the de la Renta evening was one part Gothic gypsy and one part fairy tale on some distant exploding star. From black lace in a patchwork embroidered dress to a black taffeta cocktail dress with stacked vinyl rectangles sewn on like architecturally-arragned paillettes on the one hand, and fantasy ball gowns with silver or an elaborately embroidered gradation of rose sequins and thread on the other, the view imparted by this collection was breathtaking.

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