Oscar de la Renta: Peter Copping’s Debut Is Received With Roaring Applause

It's significant to recall that Peter Copping's appointment as creative director at Oscar de la Renta was made before the founding designer's sad passing last year. The brand's board and originator must have both seen a strong correlation between Copping's soft touch and the highly feminine oeuvre de la Renta had carefully honed over the years. And how right they were to choose him - the biggest cheer we've heard all week thus far was not only testament to the fact that it must've been an incredibly daunting and hard journey for Peter these past few months, but also the fact that the designer stayed true to the aesthetic whilst successfully introducing his more delicate, French sensibility.

Uptown dressing loomed large, but of course, ensuring that the many mature ladies of NYC who rely on ODLR for smart, tweet skirt suits, prim blouses and evening gowns were still catered for, but some cheekier hemlines, sheer lace detailing and exposed bodicing, along with sexy cutaway backs and rule-breaking colour schemes meant that the Karlie Klosses and Taylor Swifts of this world (and by the way, the two pals were very charming on the front row) would be kept content, too.

Copping's strongest moments came when his deft hands were turned to more simplistic offerings - a black belted jacket over a chiffon midi, tufted with plumage, the navy lace gown with a neat line up of velvet bows or a billowing white blouse with a swishy but mini circle skirt in tweed. And talking of tweed, Copping upped the modernity of the brand's favourite fabric by creating weaves that replicated grid systems (the map of his new city creating inspo perhaps?) or into more graphic stripes rather than a classic check. These subtle differences made the onlooker study his collection hard - and it was what ensured the range avoided pastiche and instead produced a respectful and forward-thinking homage.

Anna Wintour clapped enthusiastically and smiled from ear to ear. Maybe next season he'll feel even braver, but for now, this is nothing short of classically beautiful.