A member of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and with a legion of Hollywood fans including actresses Viola Davis, Juan Carlos Obando’s collections are going from strength to strength.
In a slight departure from last year’s darker Fall/Winter pieces, Obando infuses his new collection with a more complex and bright colour palette. Jacquard black and fur grey are offset with flashes of solid azure and apricot. Silk bronze dresses are complemented by pale spearmint green asymmetrical skirts and matching fur-collared jackets.
This is a tactile collection – Obando plays with texture and colours in individual pieces. A black full-sleeved, high-neck minidress is embellished with electric blue floral detailing, and his silk off-white tee-dress with bold blue sequins.
Although ankle shoe boots pervade the collection in pale blue (almost white) and black leather, Obando made room for classic satin metallic pumps in bronze and black.
The Fall/Winter 2012 collection was so popular that one of the pieces (the black dress layered with white and a flash of lime green) was worn by Cate Blanchett to the Oscars just days after it appeared on the runway.
Another highlight of the collection is the orange asymmetrical halter-neck dress that takes the woman’s body on a journey – cinched at the waist, fitted to the knee, and eventually flowing to the floor. This one is a performance in itself.
Sarah Allen 