Juan Carlos Obando — LA Fashion Week October 2005
A Los Angeles fashion week record from October 2005 — the Juan Carlos Obando runway production, kept as the historical record.
Juan Carlos Obando showed during LA Fashion Week in October 2005, using his early career skills as an art director to present a dramatic stage production. The review carried below, by Lynn Simmons, Guest Editor, records a show built in movements — purity in simmering whites, bright ethnic-inspired gowns, a black lycra and paint passage, and an eveningwear finale themed on death with graffiti looks and skulls.
Illustrative image created for this guide — an artistic impression, not photographs from this show.
A Show in Movements
No other October 2005 review describes its show as a staged narrative: theme, color, makeup and sheer energy carrying a single arc from purity to death. Simmering whites opened; as the tempo changed, bright hues of red, purples and blue raced the runway; models then emerged in black lycra with skin covered in black paint; and eveningwear closed the arc. The review calls the well received show an encasing of imagination, music and art throughout.
The Art Director's Hand
The production's coherence is credited to the designer's first profession: art direction. Where other shows in this set present collections, Obando presented a thesis about contrast — white against color, covered against painted, life against death — and the review preserves the sequence because the sequence was the design.
The Record
JCO used his early career skills as an art director to present a dramatic stage production through theme, color, makeup and sheer energy. Simmering whites represented purity to open, and as the tempo changed bright hues of red, purples and blue gowns with a sexy, ethnic inspiration raced the runway. Next models emerged wearing black lycra bathing suits with their skin covered in black paint presenting a dramatic presentation. The show closed with eveningwear-the gowns theme represented death with graffiti looks and ancored with skulls. Juan Carlos's well received show incased imagination, music and art throughout.
Contact: Mya Walters e-mail: mya@taraink.com
Common Questions
How was Juan Carlos Obando's show structured?
As a dramatic stage production in movements: simmering whites representing purity, bright red, purple and blue gowns with an ethnic inspiration, black lycra with skin covered in black paint, and an eveningwear finale themed on death with graffiti looks and skulls.
What was the designer's background?
Art direction: he used his early career skills as an art director to present the show through theme, color, makeup and sheer energy, as the review records.
How was the show received?
Well received — the review says the show encased imagination, music and art throughout.