Faces to watch
Andrew Gn
Designer
This Paris-based designer made quite an impression when he visited L.A. for the first time last month with his spring collection, inspired by the late style maker Tony Duquette. Gn (hard G, rhymes with “sin”) already is a favorite with East Coast socialites; here, celebrity stylists for Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett and Kate Bosworth are eating the designer up.
Gn had never visited Duquette’s Beverly Hills estate until retailer Tracey Ross hosted a dinner for him there. “I was not disappointed,” he says.
Look for Gn’s party frocks and cigarette pants with couture-like fire coral, seashell, jade and tiger’s-eye details on a red carpet soon.
“The super wealthy are my clients, and they are not satisfied with basic dressing,” says Gn.
Robert Rodriguez
Designer
He’s designed for the high end at Christian Dior evening wear in New York and the lower end at Laundry by Shelli Segal here. But now Rodriguez is gaining attention for his eponymous label and proving that a well-priced line ($80 to $500) can be inspiring.
For spring, he stuck to the sweet separates that first caught the eye last season of Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom and Fred Segal: a black jersey tank top with a cluster of turquoise stones at the top; slim Bermuda shorts trimmed in lace; an off-white peasant dress with pearl buttons and a delicate ribbon belt; a lemon yellow cashmere cardigan sprinkled with sequins; and a tweed jacket with crochet details and a brooch for a closure. Rodriguez says, “I don’t think feminine will ever be over.”
Juan Carlos Obando
Designer
He gave a glimmer of hope that Los Angeles Fashion Week could be a place for new discoveries with his debut runway show in October. Dresses in stiff white cotton were anchored by bra-like bustiers, and jewel-tone stretch satin separates skimmed the body, with seams articulating every curve. Sure, some of it was familiar (Tom Ford? Narciso Rodriguez?), but it showed technical skill all the same. The collection was not picked up by any stores, but everyone knows a designer’s second effort is really the one to watch.
And Obando has one thing going for him already: With a background in advertising, he understands that in fashion, marketing is as important as design.
