JUAN CARLOS OBANDO RESORT 2011

Juan Carlos Obando explored two seemingly opposing themes for Resort: one, the practical (what pieces, he asked himself, would work best on the sales floor?); the other, fantasy. "I call it 'Falling Fairies in the Wicked World,' " Obando said of his latest effort. "Or beautiful clothes gone bad."

On the practical tip, plenty of versatile sportswear could be found in this tightly edited offering. As for Obando's more dramatic ideas? They're all in the details. The technique-minded designer turned his talents to washing and dyeing processes, turning out a beautifully finished silk and wool coat that had been boiled to resemble rumpled cotton. In another instance, the same fabric, used for a cropped jacket, was treated to look like well-worn leather.

The pale blush hue of a ball gown skirt bled into a rich flamingo pink at the hem, looking as if it had been accidentally dragged across a vat of dye. In a wicked world, Obando has a flair for producing clothes that are polished without being pretentious.