Color Commentary : Oscar de la Renta, Emanuel Ungaro Speak in Deep Tones of Pink, Purple, Green

Oscar de la Renta’s first Paris runway show went off without a hitch this week.

The New York-based designer once worked here as an assistant at the couture house of Jeanne Lanvin, and French designers filled the front-row seats of his show.

“I wanted to show him that we French are welcoming foreign designers,” Christian Lacroix said.

American retailers encouraged the move.

“I hope it opens the floodgates and more Americans show here,” said Lynn Manulis of Martha and Martha International, New York boutiques that feature top European and American designers.

De la Renta friend and protege Carolyne Roehm, who traveled with him from New York, explained his presence. “It’s an emotional thing for Oscar. How it pays off remains to be seen.”

Presumably, De la Renta hopes the payoff will be international success and a base in Paris. By showing his ready-to-wear collection here, rather than the upcoming New York shows, he can better compete with the Paris designers whose customers, like his own, are mostly wealthy socialites.

Despite the welcome and good wishes, however, when the show was over it seemed as if something had been left unsaid. One French fashion magazine editor quietly explained: “We have Valentino, we have Saint Laurent, we have Chanel. We don’t really need De la Renta. He does the same thing.”

Indeed, the similarities were never more apparent. The context of the Paris shows reinforced the fact that De la Renta’s approach to fashion--luxury fabrics and ladylike ensemble dressing--is rooted here.

But there were differences. De la Renta’s collections stood apart as less complicated, more controlled, cleaner cut, more American.

The great strength of the show was a group of tartan plaids for evening. Short skirts, shimmering with sequins, were worn with long-sleeved black velvet T-shirts. Plaid jackets embroidered in gold at the shoulders topped short black velvet skirts.

De la Renta’s tweed suits for day had pleated or flared skirts. Minimalistic knit tunics in strong colors went with matching tube skirts. But the accent for day was on short, full-cut coats in bright prints or blanket plaids over leggings and tall boots. He showed some with knit stocking caps.

After the show, a backstage party carried over to the famous Maxim’s restaurant, where De la Renta entertained about 100 people at dinner.

Emanuel Ungaro and Yves Saint Laurent finished up this season’s shows Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Ungaro--and De la Renta for that matter--made a point of opening the collection with mid-calf-length skirts. In each case, long looked dowdy and out of step.

Ungaro’s better take on the longer hemline came in the form of skirts slit up the sides, in menswear plaids, worn with mismatched plaid jackets. He showed them with tall, flat-heeled boots.

Things got more interesting when Ungaro switched to mid-thigh lengths, after the first few outfits. A green vinyl suit hit on a fashion trend in the making: Vinyl was part of many collections shown here this week.

Thierry Mugler has been pushing plastic for at least three seasons. This time he showed white, black or pale-blue vinyl stretch pants under wool jackets in plum, navy or chrome-yellow, many with hoods attached.

Japanese designer Issey Miyake’s wet-look microfiber--a new form of polyester--rainwear in black or brown was a vinyl alternative. His tailored shirts, narrow pants and short coats were classic unisex cuts, appealing enough to wear even in Los Angeles, where rainwear is not exactly a priority.

Ungaro’s show was a steady blast of color: A deep-green, pressed-alligator suit went with purple tights, red shoes and red gloves. For evening, a fiery gold mummy-wrap dress had a rich copper-color velvet coat.

But other Paris designers made monochrome dressing a theme this time around. Claude Montana showed jackets, skirts, hosiery and shoes in cool lavender. Sonia Rykiel’s ski pants and sweater sets were wrapped in vast rib-knit shawls in the same color--either brick, marigold or blue. Hanae Mori, who is based in Tokyo but shows in Paris, featured entire outfits of quilted ivory wool jersey--narrow, belted suits, short full coats, hosiery and matching shoes.

Even the king of color, Christian Lacroix, worked a single color theme. His all-black outfits for evening focused on unadorned, ankle-length dresses over sheer black hosiery and casual flat-heel shoes.

Saint Laurent worked in gold. One perfect dress in liquid-like gold silk had a jewel neckline, a belted waist, long sleeves and a floating skirt. He showed it with gold evening sandals as the most elegant one-color look for night.

This was by far Saint Laurent’s best ready-to-wear collection in three seasons. For day, his narrow-cut black leather coat dress, belted in brown leather at the waist, had silver zippers at the hip pockets. Among the best informal evening clothes was a black velvet shirt tucked into an ankle-length olive-green silk skirt. He showed it with a blanket plaid shawl.

All told, this proved to be a season of transition for French fashion. Designer Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel appeared on television one night this week, talking about “tough clothes for tough times.” His Chanel collection included black leather motorcycle boots and fishnet bodysuits over bare skin. War and recession have brought out the heavy fashion artillery for him.

Lacroix, the other superpower of young designers here, responded to world conditions in the opposite way. He showed fluffy plaid mohair coats, rib-knit tights and other soft, comforting creations.

“The world is tough so clothes must not be tough,” Lacroix explained.

Retailers translate the rough-refined debate in other terms.

“There are two ideas going on in Paris fashion this season,” said Joan Kaner, fashion director for Neiman Marcus. “There are clothes for the ladies who lunch and for the ladies who launch.”

To-the-moon wear begins with a bodysuit--in vinyl, rib-knit, or yes, black fishnet. A short, full-cut coat over it is the newest-looking combination. Karl Lagerfeld also showed a bronze-color bodysuit for evening topped by a lingerie-laced dress and Jean-Paul Gaultier’s version had athletic stripes running down the legs. He topped his bodysuits with asymmetrically hemmed dresses.

Montana took the gentler approach, with white bodysuits under short skirts and sculpted blue leather jackets. Valentino showed black lace leggings, a variation on a bodysuit, with tall satin boots for evening.

However conservatively she chooses to wear it, “the modern woman will want to have a bodysuit,” says Susan Hughes, fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Short skirts with pleats or a flared hem all but replaced the tight, narrow tubes of last season. Color still has the edge over black, but the colors are warm, not pastel, and deep, not bright.

Most evening dresses were cut above the knee in classic fabrics--silk, black lace and satin. Valentino’s sleeveless dress with a bell-shaped skirt looked particularly new. Ungaro brought back black, silk and lace femme fatale numbers that wrapped, draped and plunged.

Formalwear was soft, not structured. And the pounds of gold and pearls that have been shown with many recent collections were reduced by half.