Behind the scenes with Oscar de la Renta’s Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia

Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, Co-Creative Directors of Oscar de la Renta, have helmed the fashion house since 2016. Together, they have ushered in years of impressive collections evoking the brand’s signature style characterized by floral patterns, detailed embroideries, and colorful prints that exude refined elegance and modern flair. 

We went behind the scenes with Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia to learn about the inspiration and artistry behind the beautiful motifs of their Pre-Fall 2024 collection, which inspired the illustrations and patterns on our newest Oscar de la Renta invitations. 

Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2024 Collection

The Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2024 collection features luscious florals and marbleized prints that evoke a contemporary sensibility. “For this collection, we utilized novel prints, marbling techniques, and abstract motifs to capture the modernity of the Oscar de la Renta woman,” explains Garcia. The colorful palettes and romantic patterns from the collection feel perfect for the warmer months. Kim describes, “The Pre-Fall collection delivers at the beginning of summer, so it’s actually the lightest, summeriest clothing we create.”

The marbleization seen throughout the collection represents an unwavering commitment from Kim and Garcia to get it just right. “I looked into a traditional Turkish way of marbleizing, and we found an artist in Idaho that combined our vision of flowers and Ebru marbleizing,” Kim remarks. Jennifer Lagerwell, an artist based in Boise, Idaho, has been practicing the art of Ebru for several years and worked with the Oscar de la Renta team on the collection’s tulip and carnation designs.   

Ebru, the traditional Turkish art of paper marbling, dates back to the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 16th century. The marbleizing is achieved by adding and brushing pigments of color into a shallow pan of thickened water and then transferring the patterns to paper—a delicate process that results in distinct prints with a beautiful painterly quality.

Throughout the collection, Kim and Garcia worked in tandem, while also both bringing their unique points of view to the table. “Fernando and I have a very different aesthetic, but I think that makes us very balanced,” Kim remarks. “He has a very different personality to mine, and he has different taste. I think it’s good to see the other side every day.” Garcia adds, “Throughout the collection development, we check on each other’s ideas and experiments. I understand the route she’s taking, she sees the route I’m taking. We divide and conquer.”Kim also explains how important it is to remain amenable to last-minute changes throughout the fashion design process. “You never know what’s going to work until the day of,” she recalls. “In my head, I always have a vision of something—but then at the end, it might not turn out, and something else just looks really fresh and new.”

Musing on his and Kim’s vision for Oscar de la Renta, Garcia shares: “I think the Oscar de la Renta woman understands that we’re exploring femininity in all of its facets. We are constantly meeting inspirational women who challenge our way of thinking, and we develop new ideas to make them feel like we can always create something new for their closets and their lives.”

To discover the making-of the Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2024 collection, watch the full documentary film, “A Sense of Beauty.”

Browse our full collection of Oscar de la Renta invitations and cards.