Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall '06: Juan Carlos Obando
Juan Carlos Obando took inspiration from the bleak futuristic fiction of Phillip K. Dick for his Fall/Winter ’06 collection. But Obando’s distillation of Dick’s dystopian vision made the future seem sexy as it appeared on the runway March 20 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios.
Obando’s current collection took a departure from his previous Spring ’06 collection. The warm, colorful styles, inspired by his native Colombia, gave way to the current collection’s emphasis on razor- sharp lines, a seemingly effortless draping and the color black.
Twenty of the 25 pieces in the show explored different variations of the color black. While many pieces also come in ivory and gray, the Los Angeles-based designer said the reliance on black was for dramatic effect.
The styles ranged from black velvet mini-dresses with cotton silk leggings, to an androgynous black silk suit with black leather highrise gloves. Some of the looks were accented with red gloves or silver colored pants. By the end of the show, Obando’s palette opened. On display was a georgette gown in stark white. —Andrew Asch
