Oscar de la Renta Fall 2022 Bridal Collection

Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim are learning that when it comes to weddings, it’s not just about the gown.

“There has been an increasing demand for dressing the bride not just for the main moment, but also for the rehearsal dinner and the after-party,” Garcia tells BAZAAR. “We have discovered that [brides] love having more than one outfit on their special night so that [they] can have a grand moment for walking down the aisle, and a little bit more of a comfortable party dress for after.” Thanks to their flagships in New York and Los Angeles, and their retailers globally, Garcia and Kim have been able to keep a finger on the pulse on what brides want, and the growing demand for multiple dresses resulted in a Fall 2022 bridal capsule that felt more like a full wedding trousseau than a dozen riffs on a singular ceremony gown.

Every Look From Oscar de la Renta Fall 2022 Bridal

The collection nods to the after-party, the rehearsal dinner, and all of the events surrounding the wedding, with thigh-grazing mini dresses and slim, train-free gowns that feel refreshing in their simplicity. "After lockdown, some of the weddings have become a little bit more informal and a shorter cocktail dress is increasingly asked for—something that feels special and unique and Oscar, but not necessarily floor-length," says Garcia.

But the collection is not completely without ceremony. It features a few fuller ball gowns plus a fit-and-flare finale look with a low back that feels far sexier than the brand's traditional DNA. The season's show notes acknowledge that among a bride’s dreams “is the desire to make a fashion statement overflowing with beauty, drama, and grandeur”—but what constitutes statement-making is bound to shift from bride to bride. Perhaps it’s a short and sweet look paired with a veil, an embroidered sheer micro mini, or the most confectionary of them all—a bridal version of Billie Eilish’s showstopping off-shoulder Met Gala gown—that brings the drama.

Courtesy

Courtesy

Eilish's recent red carpet moments with the brand ushered in not one, but two ivory renditions for the aisle. A wedding-day riff on Eilish’s after-party look, complete with a fluid cape, also made an appearance—and the look oozes Old Hollywood glamour. Another notable de la Renta moment turned bridal is a metallic version of a sheer embroidered floral mini that Kaia Gerber sported in black, which was originally presented for Resort 2022 in multicolor.

Lace makes an expected appearance in the collection, but in unexpected ways—most notably, a slim, portrait-neckline slim gown with a tulle Watteau train that feels regal and sophisticated yet simultaneously youthful. And while the bold renditions of red carpet looks and the grandeur of the gowns stood out, it seems even Garcia and Kim agree that it's the mini dresses—and styling to showcase your personality—that rule this season.

"I think what's lovely about offering shorter dresses for brides nowadays is that they can accessorize it and personalize it and make it their own with a fun shoe, or a cool earring," explains Garcia. "Styling brings a lot more versatility to these looks, so a bride's personality can shine through even more."

Carrie Goldberg is HarpersBAZAAR.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.

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