The Future Looks Bright For Juan Carlos Obando

Juan Carlos Obando has to be greeting this morning with a major smile on his beautiful mug.

The reviews from his Fall 2012 presentation yesterday at the Lehmann Maupin gallery in New York are as vibrant as the palette coloring the effortlessly fluid dresses he showed.

The electric colors first bowed for Resort, and a short pink silk blouse and skirt from that grouping made “The Help” actress Viola Davis a red carpet stand out this week in the blogosphere and on the boob tube when she attended the 84th annual Oscar nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

A coup for any designer, of course, is the Academy Awards itself, and right now there is a dress from the latest collection in the running, thanks in part to a pre-presentation of Fall at Barneys New York last Friday.

It was JC’s first major trunk show at the Wilshire Boulevard flagship, and a risk to give the public a peek at Fall. But the turn of pals and supporters just during my brief visit was remarkable and potentially fruitful: two of Hollywood’s heavyweight stylists Jessica Paster and Elizabeth Stewart (who dresses Viola Davis) admitted they had their eye on several looks for the award show circus of events, including the Big Day. Also there were fashion commentator George Kotsiopoulos, C Magazine’s Amanda Ross, Katherine Ross, Anne Crawford, WWD’s L.A. bureau chief Marcy Medina, among many others.

Aside from the hot colors, I loved the bracelets and necklaces made of twisted colored silk and encased in black netting. (Sadly, a couple of the best examples did not come out with my iPhone camera due to the gorgeous sun blazing into place that afternoon.)

Another flourish I loved was this ruffled feature on this look is actually a separate piece, a kind of silk dickie to be worn with the blouse or without or on another look entirely. It appeared on both short and longer length frocks.

The presentation last Friday in Beverly Hills and yesterday in New York also had its share of pieces in black and ivory. The delicate detailing and sophisticated construction of this dress are best considered in person. It’s stunning and while not a dedicated bridal gown, it would perfectly fit at the altar.