Fashion Week El Paseo: Juan Carlos Obando Show
PALM DESERT, CALIF.—On April 4, Juan Carlos Obando gave a fashion jolt to the city of Palm Desert. Upon entering the tent, you were taken into a different world. You heard a fine, continuous, electronic melody. The lights were dimmed and the smoke-filled air gave it an extraterrestrial quality. I felt as if J.C.’s spaceship had landed, setting its engines in rest-mode. While the attendees acted as passengers with great anticipation for takeoff. Sitting front row were some familiar faces such as designers Kevan Hall and Lloyd Klein and actress Tracie Bingham. (Both Mr. Hall and Mr. Klein were previous “Designers of the Week” at Fashion Week El Paseo.)
As everybody found their seats, a slow dimming of the lights went to complete darkness and out came the first look. First model was wearing a flawlessly pleated dress in black and stilettos with satin strap details around her ankles. The model walked down the runway as spotlights, one-by-one, lit her way. The lighting down the runway worked as if it were the ramp of the J.C. spaceship and it was highlighting the path of its beautiful creatures for us to admire.
Juan Carlos has a gift. A gift in manipulation of fabrics that keep the pieces looking effortless but in no way simplistic. Example: The jacket and pant assemble done in silver that upon the model’s turn at the end of the catwalk exposed a shoulder-pleading detail that would make Frank Gehry jealous. Think Walt Disney Concert Hall on your back. It’s pure glamour for the 21st century women. Other "musts" were the hand-pleated dresses and coats in light shades of blue, ivory and ash. The pleating looked like seashells, perhaps something that Venus could wear for her reincarnation. His last look exited, and as the model slowly walked back mid-runway, the lights flickered off one-by-one.
