“Oscar de la Renta caught the optimism of the season in his exuberant show, and as ever he did it his way, from the wild Pre-Raphaelite hair (he was sick of looking at the models arriving for their fittings with depressing, lanky tresses) to the “virtual” high-heeled booties (the main body of the shoe done in clear plastic).

Oscar opened with a ball gown (and why not?), or at least a breezy summer take on one, with a skimpy bodice of black cotton lace and a billowing skirt of mustard taffeta. That cotton lace (in white, like the Sunday-best tablecloths on an Aeolian island) was used for sheath evening dresses that erupted into volume below the knee, and full-skirted sundresses—and floral elements cut out from it were luxuriously scattered over everything from Chanel-esque silk-tweed cardigan suits to Infanta ball gowns.

Oscar does insouciant luxe like no one else—a candy-pink Persian lamb cardigan over ivory Oxford bags, anyone? An ebony sequin cocktail frock shimmied with white tassels? A sleeveless top fronded with lime ostrich over citrus chiffon sarouel pants? Like the consummate couture-centric designer that he is, Oscar thinks above all about his client, and from this heady smorgasbord that runs the gamut from a silvered lamé Fortuny-pleat evening sheath to a Sissi of Austria ball dress in white faille wrapped in black tulle, there will be something for each of his front-row ladies from Nancy Kissinger to Marina Rust to Nicki Minaj.” (vogue)

Oscar de la Renta S/S 2012 photos courtesy of vogue.it.