Juan Carlos Obando held an intimate presentation of his Fall 2016 collection in the same Saint Germain gallery where he showed his last collection, but this time he brought the tropics. The space was filled with vases of blooms native to the Southern Hemisphere: Fiddle-leaf fig leaves leaned agreeably against the window; mandarins were piled on a table; South American birdcalls played as the soundtrack. It would have all been a little much if it wasn’t so entirely welcome an escape from the latest in a string of gray, drippy days in Paris.
“I was thinking about these dinner dances in people’s homes in ’60s, ’70s South America,” said Obando, citing the importance of both major movement—seen here in the emerald green silk ruffles of a skirt, or the generous width of a flowing trouser—as well as an ensemble’s appeal when only viewed from the dinner table up. It was a romantic reflection on the glamour of actually dressing for dinner, for parties held at homes that were dressed up, too (hence the fruits and flowers). The clothes themselves were a furthering of Obando’s theme from last season—asymmetrical silk separates in cream and crimson with frills loosely looped over the bicep, plunging slit skirts, and gently wrapped waists. You can’t blame him for going back to the well—these pieces sold like gangbusters for Spring, Obando said, and he’s improved the already beautifully rendered wares, upping the make from two- to four-ply silk. But there is a difference, it is important to note, between a consistent message and a collection whose seasons are indistinguishable. A one-shouldered red gown cut on the bias was unexpectedly flattering and the epitome of the type of simple, chic evening dress that women are always searching for and can never quite find; it was an example of the type of forward motion that will keep customers coming back to see what’s next.
