Oscar De La Renta

Label-loving brides (and moms of flower girls), brace yourselves. Oscar de la Renta's Bridal Spring 2013 runway show marked the exciting launch of his collection of dreamy, adorable flower girl looks for lil ones. The gorgeous dresses feature the most beautiful detailing, and the cuts are all entirely age-appropriate and sweet. Not that we'd expect anything else from Oscar . . .

>> Oscar de la Renta started and ended his Spring 2013 bridal show with striking red dresses, but the looks that came between them hewed to traditional shades of white.

Whether starting and ending with a flash of fire was a way to awaken the audience's senses or an appeal to a different customer wasn't clear — the white dresses that made up the bulk of the show were just as powerful. They were by turns festooned with jeweled accents, draped simply, and covered with intricate lace overlays. Like his ready-to-wear collections, de la Renta's bridal gowns spoke to a wide variety of modern women — and to modern little girls, too. Several of the dresses came down the aisle preceded by flower girls wearing younger versions of the grown-up gowns.

Photos: Courtesy of Oscar de la Renta

We can always count on Oscar de la Renta for red-carpet perfect dresses and the most elevated execution of ladylike wares, and this season was no exception to the rule. Marked by a definitive nod to the refined woman, Oscar upped his fantasy fashion quotient with a collection positively dripping in jewels. Teardrop-shaped pearl earrings, antique-inspired brooches, embellished sheaths, satin-and-diamante headbands, and even jewel-print graphics popped up on the runway. In addition to the dazzle factor, the designer honed in on updating his classic tweed jackets, perfectly tailored circle skirts, and "ladies who lunch" suits for both the younger, daring crew and the more sophisticated set. He adorned dresses with long pastel-hued feathers, added long, chunky cable-knit cardigans for a casual feel, and polished off looks with bejeweled leather belts. And as any fairy-tale show must end, Oscar delivered stunning, princess-worthy, or in this case — Academy Awards-worthy — ball gowns. These frothy, ethereal creations boasted full skirts, slightly drawn up in front like theater curtains, and off-the-shoulder necklines, and of course, they have "A-list" written all over them. See below for more Oscar de la Renta details.

• Trends: Jewel embellishments, brooches, refined suits, and fairy-tale gowns.
• Colors: Soft pink, powder blue, red, and black.
• Key Piece: The voluminous jaw-dropping ball gowns in both slate blue and muted pink — chances are, we'll be seeing these confections on the red carpet very soon.
• Accessories: Teardrop-shaped pearl earrings, antique-inspired brooches, fishnet stockings, velvet bow tie shoes, and satin-and-diamante headbands.
• Who Would Wear It: Oscar de la Renta's arsenal of loyal fans, like Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Chastain, and Anna Wintour.

>> "I used a lot of colors you would not associate with Winter colors, but today's woman doesn't dress for seasons," Oscar de la Renta explained of the icy blues and pale pinks that populated his Fall 2012 collection. On full-skirted ballerina dresses, bouclé coats, and voluminous ball gowns, the pastel hues were everywhere — and a welcome reprieve from the plethora of "oxblood" on offer nearly everywhere else this week.

Other than pastels, de la Renta's main focus this season was embellishment — and it came in every shape, style, and form. Glittering stones were worked onto the sleeves of cashmere cardigans, fox fur dripped from the hems of pants, and shimmering lace adorned collars. Even the models' headbands, belts, and shoes were done up in an eye-popping assortment of jewels.