LA Designer at NY Fashion Week: Juan Carlos Obando Does Pants!

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LA Fashion Week loses some of its most talented designers to NY Fashion Week, and Juan Carlos Obando is definitely one of them. In his second season showing at NY Fash Week, Obando monumentally showed pants for the first time, a departure from the spectacular, intricate gowns he's known for (which also made many appearances on his catwalk for spring '09).

The verdict? Given the high level of craftsmanship in Obando's pieces, Style.com came to the conclusion that "a presentation format might have better showcased Obando's artistry than a runway show, however dramatic and carefully orchestrated." As for the Japanese linen pants paired with "midriff-bearing bustier tops" which he employed a complex pleating technique to: "...a pant does not daywear make, and this first stab at the category was not as convincing as he'd hoped. For now, Obando's skill is best admired on his gorgeous gowns, and there were plenty of those to marvel at." [Style.com, Photos via Style.com]

Noting the "retailer and editor-heavy front row," WWD reports: "He approached his mixture of upscale daywear and gowns with a deft hand, pairing tops formed of intricately pleated swirls of silk with paper bag waist pants, or twisting an ethereal two-tone silk gown over one shoulder." [WWD]