the Oscars

That would be Oscar de la Renta, now the subject of a gorgeous retrospective at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.  Yesterday I went down to the City to feast my little eyes on all his beautiful designs and it was a really wonderful show.  My friend Diane picked me up at 8:30 and off we went through pouring rain that, blessédly, turned into sunshine a bit later in the morning.  Here are just a few of the many, many selections in the show ~ a total of over 100, I believe.  Needless to say the place was jammed with admirers, mostly women but a sprinkling of men, but most in tow with their spousal units.

Nice nautical look for my arrival at the beach

A little something for evenings at home

Hand beaded with pink, teal and silver crystals.

Black lace and silk taffeta, very slight bustle in the back to make a tiered skirt.  Note the hat.  Very Spanish.

This was one of my favorites.  The skirt is made of silk taffeta in a wonderful rust-burgundy color with ruffles that make it look like a huge flower.  I don't know how one would get through a doorway, for example, or actually sit down comfortably.  But it looks terrific.  Very plain black silk fitted jacket. 

Teal silk satin evening cape

Yellow silk satin under the teal cape.  Stunning use of colors and fabrics; lots of jewel tone satin throughout the show. 

The little train on this silk taffeta dress is lined in hot pink satin.  The contrast is absolutely delicious1

Another favorite.  Hand painted silk caftan, perfect for my oh-so-glamorous life at the beach.  Although I certainly couldn't touch it, it looks utterly weightless.

Another gown for an evening out ~ where, I couldn't say.

This dress has beautiful hand-embroidered carnations strewn across it.  It's white silk satin, so simple and elegant.  I'll take it!

Just a small sampling of the whole collection.  A couple of really fabulous wedding dresses, lots of gold lamé-type fabrics, beading, glitter and furs.  Mostly evening clothes; not many go-to-work stuff.  Oh, I guess most of those who were dressed by him didn't do that sort of thing.

We then moseyed down the road to the Beach Chalet for a lovely, leisurely lunch and a lot of catch-up talk.

Windy, so lots of whitecaps on the ocean

We drove home the "long" way, across the Golden Gate, through Napa and the as-far-as-the-eye-can-see vineyards.  I haven't been the the Napa Valley for a while, maybe 3 years, and the area planted in grapes has easily doubled.  Who drinks all that stuff?

So that's how I spent my Wednesday.  I loved every minute of it.  And we got all the world's problems if not solved, at least addressed in a calm and rational manner.  How's that for a new idea?