Resort Wear 2012 – Bottega & Oscar

The Bottega Veneta Resort 2012 collection included everything from fitted nude cardigans, neon mini skirts, gladiator belts, patent leather sandals and safari shirt dresses in maxi length.

But in typical Bottega fashion, even the most relaxed of looks had an architectural element to it. The boning on a skirt, corsetted waists, epaulettes… And while each of these pieces screams vacation, you can still them walking down the street.

On the other end of the spectrum from the low-key, easy collection shown by Bottega Veneta was Oscar de la Renta, who took as his inspiration Picasso’s Cubist period, with a distinct South American flair. And while the Oscar-girl may traditionally have tastes running more towards tweed skirt-suits for meetings and gowns for charity galas, there were a few looks with a fresh, young spin on them.

What struck me the most about all of the Resort collections this season were their sensibility. Virtually all of these looks could be transplanted into your daily life, with a mere change of accessories and shoes. Gone are the days of Resort collections featuring nothing but gauzy pool-side dresses and thousand dollar bathing suit cover ups. The designers have grown up in the years since the financial crisis and are presenting collections that are more wearable, more versatile and more real-life oriented.