Oscar de la Renta Resort 2011

Michelle Obama may be more of a Moises de la Renta fan – and Oscar de la Renta is none too pleased with the fact that the First Lady has yet to wear one of his own creations – but there’s no stopping most well-to-do ladies who lunch (and those in training) from flocking to the designer’s clothes.

Like Diane von Furstenberg, Chanel, and Salvatore Ferragamo’s core clients, the Oscar de la Renta woman is a seasoned traveler who needs a multitude of looks to take her from morning to beach to night. Whether for a night out at Les Caves du Roy, an evening at a black-tie fundraiser, a casual day sunning, or an afternoon spent shopping at Hermes, Mr. de la Renta gave his customer exactly what she asked for – in his signature feminine way.

Aside from his return to loads of embellishments, two things were particularly noteworthy in the designer’s delivery. First, Mr. de la Renta made a clear effort to extend his appeal to a younger demographic. Mixed in with a slew of demure tweeds were sexier strapless looks with bold prints that any bronzed, 20-something in St. Tropez would kill to wear.

Second, in a forward-thinking Karl Lagerfeld-esque twist, the designer sent out a slew of models with iPads kept safe in leather protective covers. While it wasn’t all that surprising to learn that Louis Vuitton and Gucci have designed three-figure iPad covers, I didn’t expect Oscar de la Renta to get in on that market. It’s a welcome surprise to see a legendary designer like de la Renta be so open to change (in fact, he has been vocal about his admiration for certain fashion blogs).

Besides holding appeal for a wide age demographic, the 55 looks that were shown for Resort 2011 mixed neutral, monochromatic looks with vibrant prints. Geometric, stiff silhouettes were shown, along with free-flowing, breezy shapes. A slew of striped looks made for sleek, grab-and-go casual wear. This being an Oscar de la Renta show meant that the high point came unsurprisingly at the end, when a series of floor length looks that seemed inspired by classic Spanish wear made their way onto the runway.