Juan Carlos Obando plots growth, new jewelry line and e-commerce

Los Angeles-based designer Juan Carlos Obando is in growth mode. He's planning a new jewelry line to roll out in November, the same time he launches e-commerce, and is expanding his company with a few key hires, including his first chief operating officer.

When Obando launched his collection at Los Angeles Fashion Week in 2005, he still had a day job as an art director in advertising, working with such clients as BMW, Coca-Cola, Disney and Sony. He taught himself fashion design by pulling apart vintage pieces and sewing them back together.

For the first few seasons, he was admittedly influenced by Tom Ford. As his style began to develop, his collections were often aggressively sexy, with lots of tailoring and an emphasis on hand craft. He singed, sun-bleached and even broiled fabric, all in the name of achieving interesting effects. And in 2008, he began showing his collection in New York. (Check out the evolution of his collections above. Left to right, a dress with hand-painted fish from spring 2006, a superhero-inspired jacket from fall 2008, sun-bleached frontier-style tailoring from spring 2010 and KISS-inspired leather appliques from fall 2011.) 

But only when Hollywood discovered his talent, did he really discover himself. 

"That Freida Pinto dress turned my business around," Obando said when he had breakfast last week, referring to the green, bias cut gown (above, right) the star wore in July 2011 to the L.A. premiere of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."

Perhaps because of his background in advertising, Obando was more than willing to listen to what his customers wanted. And beginning in 2011, he started to focus more on the evening wear that Pinto, Miley Cyrus, Viola Davis and other celebrities were clamoring for.

"Before that, my style was a bit dark," he said. "Now, I'm known for simple, streamlined gowns in bright colors. I have an evening wear company."

He's become a red carpet go-to for L.A.'s art, society and media types, too, including Willow Bay, Jacqui Getty and Katherine Ross, a fashion consultant and the wife of LACMA director Michael Govan. 

"Seventy percent of my clients have come to me because of Katherine," Obando said. "She is intrumental in developing that strategic eye and picking the right celebrities. And she has helped so many L.A. designers -- Gregory Parkinson, George Esquivel and Johnson Hartig."

Obando, who is about to turn 35, is at a point where he can appreciate his creative journey "from what I thought my style was, to what it is, to what it needs to be," he said.

This spring, he was able to get his feet wet in the jewelry category by designing a few pieces (see above) for Atelier Swarovski, in stores and online now. (The Austrian crystal brand has been sponsoring Obando's New York Fashion Week runway shows for three years.)

For his own jewelry collection, which he hopes will hit stores in time for the holidays, he's taking inspiration from men's metal watch bands. He'll launch e-commerce at about the same time, with a selection of his signature gowns, as well as more separates, such as breezy blouses to throw on over jeans.

"It's funny as a designer how my vision has changed," Obando said. "Some people don't like the reality of what their vision becomes, but for me, I'm happy."

Juan Carlos Obando's collection, $1800 to $3500,  sells at Barneys New York, Des Kohan in Los Angeles.

-- Booth Moore

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Top photos of Juan Carlos Obando, Robert Durell /Los Angeles Times.

Second-row photos, left to right: Los Angeles Times; Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times; Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter/ For The Times; Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times.

Third-row photos, left to right: Viola Davis wearing Juan Carlos Obando at the 84th annual Academy Awards Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in February. Credit: Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times. Freida Pinto arrives at the Premiere of 20th Century Fox's 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 28, 2011, in Los Angeles. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Juan Carlos Obando' Atelier Swarovski collection, from the designer.

New York Fashion Week 2012: Juan Carlos Obando

Designer Juan Carlos Obando, who lives in Los Angeles, has been on a roll lately. Viola Davis wore his fuchsia halter dress to the Oscar nominees luncheon the other day. And Arianne Phillips, nominated for an Oscar in the costume design category for her work on "W.E." told me at Obando's runway show that he will be making her gown for Oscar night.

On the runway, Obando wasn't afraid to show styles that are similar to what he's done before. Fluttery, bias-cut, silk chiffon dresses in dynamite bright colors are a signature for him, so why not show them off? This season, they came in chartreuse, peony pink and orange crush with assymetrical or fishtail hems adding an interesting twist to the silhouettes. The addition of streamer-like scarves made for a wonderfully graphic statement as models walked down the runway.

In keeping with his flair for unique craftsmanship, Obando brought a beautifully distressed look to the floral crystal embroidery on satin dresses and jackets by dousing the embroidery in vinegar, ripping it apart and sewing it back together to create the imperfect perfect detail.

The day wear had a lightness similar to the evening wear, from a featherweight puffer vest that seemed to glow from the inside to a fluidly draped, black-and-white skirt that captured the essence of motion. Knotted crystal rope necklaces grounded the looks.

Everyone went crazy for the fur motocross jackets and were shocked to learn afterward that they are faux. Obando said he had been developing the faux fur pieces for more than a year with a German mill. He wanted furs that were all different colors, and he got them. The most fabulous jacket of the bunch came in a tonal color block. Well done.

-- Booth  Moore

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Photos of Juan Carlos Obando's fall/winter 2012 collection. Credit: Dario Cantatore / Getty Images. 

Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award goes to Nally & Millie

This post has been updated. See below for details.

The third night of Style Fashion Week L.A. at Vibiana kicked off with the presentation of the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award to local women's contemporary label Nally & Millie.

Before presenting the 2011 award to the label's owners Nally and James Park, accounting firm Moss Adams LLP's director of apparel, Martin Hughes, said the award is intended to recognize "a designer or company who has done something unique and innovative within the last year," and cited the label's use of color and pattern.

Past recipients of the award, which includes $5,000 worth of consulting services from Moss Adams, includes Corey Lynn Calter (2003) Frankie B (2004), Petro Zillia (2005), Rozae Nichols (2006), Juan Carlos Obando (2007) and Katy Rodriguez (2008). The award was not presented in 2009 or 2010. [For the record, Oct. 22, 12:35 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled Corey Lynn Calter's name as Corey Lyn Calter.]

The announcement was followed by a series of runway shows featuring up-and-coming local labels including men's swimwear label Robert Joseph, women's loungewear and sleepwear label Unspoken, men's label Angelino, women's swimwear line Odina Surf, action sports brand The Continuous Line, Marisa Kenson and Coco Johnsen.

The event, dubbed "California Dreaming," was hosted by "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'" Taylor Armstrong and comedian Brett Walkow and was organized as a fundraiser for local nonprofit Fashion Business Inc.

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Photos, from left: Taylor Armstrong, left, and Brett Walkow welcome the crowd to a fashion fund-raiser at the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral in Los Angeles on Thursday; designer Nally Park expresses her thanks after her line, Millie & Nally, won the 2011 Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award. Credit: Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times

New York Fashion Week: Juan Carlos Obando

I'm late in writing about Los Angeles designer Juan Carlos Obando's spring 2012 collection. But at least now I can also gush about what was among the top five fashion moments at the Emmys on Sept. 18 -- Obando's cream ruffle-front halter gown with a dramatic train, worn by Aubrey Plaza.

I emailed the designer, who balances work on his collection with a freelance career in advertising, to congratulate him. He was still in New York selling his spring collection but said that it had been "a very special night."

I can imagine.

A lot in his spring presentation seemed to be designed for special nights, which is a good thing, since more and more, Obando is landing in the celebrity dressing spotlight. (Freida Pinto wore a draped green Obando dress to the premiere of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" in July.)

Set against an enormous backdrop of fresh flowers, each one handpicked by Obando (because that's the kind of attention to detail he believes in) the collection was full of sensual, sublimely draped and knotted silk dresses in vivid shades of violet, aqua and grass green. 

My favorite look was a shocking pink blouse with long sleeves and a deep-V neck, over a matching skirt with asymmetrical hem. As an alternative to a girlie dress, black satin pants and a boxy satin jacket trimmed in cabochon stones were also quite nice. And a draped and knotted navy blue stripe skirt, paired with a long sleeve shirt with contrasting stripes was a high-glamour take on spring's perennial nautical trend.

It's great to see Obando having so much momentum. I can't wait to see more.

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Top photo: Aubrey Plaza at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Bottom photos: Looks from the Juan Carlos Obando spring 2012 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Cindy Ord / Getty Images

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund hosts an L.A. runway show

 
Despite the dreary weather and what was originally supposed to be an outdoor venue, celebrities, stylists and fashion supporters flocked to the Chateau Marmont on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the 2010 finalists of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

The finalists, who this year include Joseph Altuzarra of Altuzarra, Robert Geller, Pamela Love, Prabal Gurung, Billy Reid, Christian Cota, Moss Lipow, Oliver Helden and Paul Marlow of Loden Dager, Gregory Parkinson and Eddie Borgo, presented several looks from their spring/summer 2011 collections to the crowd who had been stealthily relocated from the garden of the hotel to the inside lounge. Event hosts Frederic Fekkai and Vogue’s West Coast senior editor Lisa Love sat front row among celebrities such as Eva Mendes, Marisa Tomei, Emily Mortimer and Molly Sims, most of whom are no strangers to a fashion show, yet all showed enthusiastic support for the designers’ collections (Mendes even wore one of Cota’s designs to the event).

Models glided down the living room-like setting of the hotel’s lounge in spring styles so fresh one forgot the overcast skies for a moment. The hair (done by Fekkai and Renato Campora) added a Southern California-esque feel, pulled back into tousled low ponytails, adding an easy, casual vibe to the runway looks. But it was another aspect of Southern California that had the crowd smiling and cheering -– L.A based designer Parkinson, whose effective use of mixing colorful textiles and flowy bohemian silhouettes have long been a hometown favorite as well as a hit with the global fashion community.

His applause was noticeably more thunderous than the other finalists, and the designer humbly thanked his L.A based friends/fan club for the generous support. “In a few years, I will have lived in L.A for as long as I lived in England. This really is my adoptive home,” Parkinson said. “The people here today have been a part of my life for many years and this is incredibly emotional. And nobody, nobody could ask for a better cheer!”

Several other L.A. based designers were present at the event. Jasmine Shokrian and former CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Juan Carlos Obando were in attendance and confessed their adoration of Eddie Borgo’s intense and rather large accessories. “His jewelry has a kick to it!” Obando said. “And jewelry should be decadent. Wearing Eddie’s jewelry is like you’re wearing precious toys … shiny, pointy, dangerous toys. What else could a girl want?”

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Marisa Tomei, left, Frederic Fekkai and Eva Mendes watch the L.A fashion show of this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists at the Chateau Marmont. Credit: WireImage

New York Fashion Week: Last but not least

The season in New York was largely about wearable sportswear. But there were a few notable exceptions.

I continue to be impressed by Victoria Beckham's dress collection, which is always so elegantly restrained and perfectly polished. (There is something to be said for zeroing in on one thing and doing it to the fullest.)

For several seasons now, much of what she has designed has been body-skimming, if not downright body-hugging. But Beckham loosened things up for spring, even using her own body to perfect the drape of a violet-colored parachute silk dress with a knotted detail.

As a red carpet regular, naturally Beckham has a flair for the dramatic. And indeed, a watery purple stripe jacquard bell-shaped dress would make quite an entrance, especially worn with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses from Beckham's eyewear collection.

But there was nothing too glitzy or obvious here. A stiff white "pigment print" organdy dress with a flared skirt was wonderfully simple. "The print was inspired by light sculpture," Beckham explained. "And we worked hard at maintaining the feather weight."

Not that everything was easy, breezy. A "Cadillac pink" shift dress that hit below the knee, with an asymmetrical neckline and exposed back zipper, was divinely fitted, sucking everything in with an interior corset.

She also used the runway to introduce her new line of handbags, including the covetable "Victoria," a boxy style with flaps that fold over each other at the top. It will be interesting to see if she gives up her Birkins for Beckhams.

Victoria Beckham spring - summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

L'Wren Scott also went in a new direction, trading her inner rock chick for a free-spirited romantic.

Inspired by a trip to the Serengeti, she began with a strong case for barely-there dressing. White trousers and a sheer coat with the ease of sleepwear; a sheer gold-dot pajama-top-turned-jacket with the lace hem of a slipdress peeking out; and creamy white silk pajama pants worn with a gold embroidered kimono jacket were all perfect for a romp in the safari tent.

But quickly, almost too quickly, her heroine had returned to the city -- in a 1930s-looking peach dress with an asymmetrical scalloped hem, and a body-skimming peach pencil skirt, embroidered green velvet cutaway jacket and saffron blouse. (An unexpected color combo that was terrific.)

As day moved into night, the clothes took an even more ornamental turn, including a slinky gold satin dress with red embroidery down the sides, a degrade sequin sheath in sunset colors and a firecracker red embroidered floor length gown.

In the end, what started out as a beautiful story was hard to follow. A lot of lovely pieces, yes, but as a collection, they needed more to stitch them together.

L'Wren Scott spring-summer runway collection photo gallery

Los Angeles-based Juan Carlos Obando turned up the heat on his business,  showing a collection of  evening wear that was elegant, but with a sexy edge.

He channeled a recent experience seeing the documentary "Hubble" at L.A.'s California Science Center, into the hand-dyed textiles for which he is known, creating nebulous patterns in colors of the deep, dark universe.

At times, Obando has suffered from tunnel vision. But this was a well-rounded collection, including slim sheaths, flirty fit-and-flare dresses, floor-sweeping gowns, sleek pants and fitted peplum jackets.

And there were details aplenty, from fraying cutouts edged in black Swarovski crystals, to contouring laces and exposed zippers.

Los Angeles shoe designer George Esquivel added to the fine show, creating uneven stacked heels that brought to mind the building blocks of the universe.

-- Booth Moore

JC Obando spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Top photo: A dress from the Victoria Beckham spring-summer 2011 runway collection shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images.

Middle photos: Looks from the L'Wren Scott spring-summer 2011 runway collectioni show during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Courtesy of L'Wren Scott.

Bottom photo: A look from the Juan Carlos Obando spring - summer 2011 line. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times

New York Fashion Week: JC Obando; great tailoring skills, boring runway

L.A.-based designer Juan Carlos Obando took the idea of razor-sharp tailoring and beat us over the head with it.

Working in a drab palette of sand, gray and black, he showed super skinny worsted wool trousers that were totally spare aside from spiraling seams, and sleeveless belted shift dresses pared down except for a few curve enhancing stitches.

Although he should be applauded for his rigorous technique, this collection needed some eye candy beyond shoe designer George Esquivel's laced boot extensions.

It didn't help that it was all a build-up to a finale of gowns with micro plisse bodices, something we've seen from him many times before.

--Booth Moore in New York

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Photos: Juan Carlos Obando's fall 2010 show in New York. Credit: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times