I had the pleasure of seeing the Oscar de la Renta career retrospective at the de Young Museum this weekend. The show has been attracting sell out crowds since March and closes this Memorial weekend. My partner, Micheal, and I decided to deal with the crowded museum and spend the afternoon admiring Oscar de la Renta's work.
The exhibit showcases over 130 ensembles and is organized into thematic sections: Daywear, Eveningwear, Early Work, Spanish, Eastern, Russian, and Garden Influences. The presentation covers over five decades of the fashion icon's work.
Viewing the show inspired me on so many levels. I especially took note of Oscar de la Renta's use of Color and Texture. Two common basic elements shared by Fashion Designers and Garden Designers are Color and Texture. Both design fields are faced with the challenge of harmonizing their work using these two elements. Very often an inspiration is taken from the natural environment.
Our eyes have evolved to admire the natural color and textural schemes found in the nature. Flowers, foliage and landscapes offer the Fashion Designer endless combinations for Color and Textural ideas. In turn, fashion can offer the Garden Designer inspiration for a garden's plant palette.
I have put together a slide show highlighting the work of Oscar de la Renta and paired it with plant, flower and landscapes from my own projects that share common Color and/or Textural ideas. I've included the photos in two sections: one is Color and the other is Texture. However, the two are inseparable from each other. Color without Texture is flat and Texture without Color is lifeless.
If you were fortunate enough to make it to the exhibit, sit back and enjoy the review. If you did not make it, bear in mind my camera phone did not capture the true beauty of Oscar de la Renta's amazing work.
Diseñador de Jardín,
Mario
