Why: To quote Marc, "It's not every day that you get to have your makeup put on by Amanda Lepore––but I think it's every tranny's dream. Do you think I should send this in to Ru Paul's Drag Race?"
If you want to look cute right now, there is one person you need to know. Meet the stylist Lester Garcia. Formerly Mel Ottenberg's assistant, Lester has worked with the best––Vogue, Candy (where he styled Chloë Sevigny), Elle (styling Nicki Minaj), Wonderland (styling Nicki and Sky Ferreira), and OPENING CEREMONY, of course! It's no wonder Jeremy Scott asked him to style his FW12 show. I met up with Lester a few days before the show to have him walk me though the collection, and followed up after the show to chat about what's hot and what's not.
Zachary Ching: Woah, that was such a great show! This is your second season styling a Jeremy Scott runway presentation. Is it as fun as it looks? Lester Garcia: It gets more and more fun each season.
ZC: What were your inspirations for approaching this collection? LG: Space and time––LOL.
ZC: Can we talk about the bindi and body jewelry moments? I'm obsessed.
LG: When Jeremy first showed me his references, I knew the body jewelry felt perfect for this collection. We then asked my dear friend Alexis Bittar to help make it all come to life.
ZC: The show opened with the pink holographic heart pieces and ended with rainbow sequined looks. Was there a story you were trying to tell with the different sections?
LC: My focus is always to introduce in memorable and well-balanced groups the different themes that occur throughout the collection. The first men's pink look was my favorite. That color palette on a guy is just FRESH!
ZC: Every stylist has a dream client. Who's yours?
LG: I like working with clients who LOVE fashion. My dream client is always the same––someone as excited as I am about making a great image.
ZC: Now for your tops. What are the top three items every girl needs in her wardrobe?
LG: A sports bra, her boyfriend's parka, and the perfect sunglasses.
ZC: Top three items every guy needs?
LG: A white buttondown shirt, a two-piece sweatsuit, and a pair of killer kicks.
ZC: Three things everyone should throw away right now. LG: Knee-high boots, make up, and an attitude!
ZC: Fill in the blanks.
LG: I like my clothes but I love my friends . I never leave home without my bike and my iPhone . When i styled Nicki Minaj i could not believe how sharp she was! When I feel un-cute, I just put on my pajamas and head to my couch .
Photos by Brayden Olson
Lester showing the models how it's done
Meet our new styling intern, Sheena!
Name: Sheena Sepulveda-Smith Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Astrological sign: Virgo Currently obsessed with: Jumpsuits Last song I downloaded: "Your Ever After" by Ducky What's on my nightstand right now: My hoop earrings and chocolate truffles Favorite book: 100 Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Favorite flea market: Aqueduct Flea Market in Queens (R.I.P.) Favorite place for people watching: Union Square Item at OC that I most covet: The Chloë SEvigny for Opening Ceremony vision cropped bustier.
Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981, the MOCA retrospective on underground experimental artists of the Los Angeles area in the 70s and 80s, went out with a big BANG. I was kindly invited to the closing party, and how could I not go?
The party took place at the MOCA Geffen, right out on the front patio, and the lineup showcased three of Los Angeles' most influential punk bands playing for a packed crowd of devout fans. The Avengers! The Dead Kennedys (minus Jello)! X! The bands, all still full of energy and impassioned to perform again for this memorable occasion, played songs that the crowd proudly sang along to while pumping those oh-so-tattooed arms. All of the bands were amazing, and the show culminated in a tremendous performance by X, who played greats like "Breathless," "Blue Spark," and, of course, "Los Angeles," a really great representation of the strange melting pot we call home.
It was great to also see the eclectic artworks that people like Chris Burden, Vija Celmins, and Betye Saare, among others, have churned out over time. The city is an undeniable and underrated axis in the art world, and the exhibition cemented it as a historical playground for the artistically inclined. Here's a little taste of the work and the event, with a frenzy of the bands and some rebellious fans!
The side you don't ever see
Here's where the story starts
Thousands of nickels and broken matches... my head hurts
Every season Venessa Arizaga's neon wrist-fulls blow my mind. The Spring/Summer 2012 collection just arrived and includes the following: gummy bears, rhinestones, smiley faces, oreos, fluorescent crochet, donuts, crutches, peace signs, and tiny silver arms and legs. Entitled "The Far Side," the collection, which ranges from knitted collars to gunmetal charm bracelets, explores the magical power of charms. And the designer leaves no cultural reference unturned, combining nu-rave knickknacks with shamanic medicine pouches and Mexican milagros—the little limb-shaped tokens left at altars and carried for good luck. Clustered together on bright woven chains, Venessa's charms lure you in with eerie talismanic power.
Two heads are better than one. And three heads are definitely better than two (see the sculpture Cerberus to the left). So goes the reasoning behind Theo A. Rosenblum and Chelsea Seltzer’s new collaborative show at The Hole, in which the partners harness the power of uncensored and irrational dialogue to make pieces more bizarrely funny than what could come from a single twisted brain. The exhibition, which consists of drawings, sculptures, and paintings, reaches deep into the recesses of two artistic minds and displays their contents for all, fashioning stock paintings (think the quaint landscapes that deck out cheap hotels) and familiar, kitschy objects (think Disney figurines) into the artists’ own warped image.
But that makes the pieces sound much more drearily psychological or dark than they feel. There are certainly unsettling, morbid scenes to be found throughout the works but the rupture generated by Rosenblum and Seltzer’s stream-of-consciousness creations is more that of laughter than of shock. Take, for instance, Relaxin’ (2011) in which (is that a croissant, or, ahem, a turd?) lounges by the sea: overwhelmingly hilarious. However, to call the show humorous is not to say that it lacks that kind of unthinking insight that comes from letting our more primitive side loose. The works reveal rather than impose a weirdness inherent in our cultural tropes, of which Rosenblum and Seltzer are here to liberate us.
Two Heads are Better than One is on view through March 17, 2012.
Just a horse, rollerbladin', from the piece A Horse is a Horse (2012)
Three little sculptures Cerebus
Close-up of Relaxin' The Enchanted Picnic (2012)
Yummy body parts in An Arm and a Leg (2012) Snow Manimal (2012)
Traces of a prior artist, or, if I may, a third head, in Helter Pelter (2012) Blue Hawaii (2012)
Dolphin vomit, no big deal
Only a few seasons in and J.W. Anderson's women's line has managed to conduct a hype that can almost outshine his wildly successful menswear collections. Using oppressed fifties housewives as inspiration, Jonathan named his FW12 collection "Chambers of Isolation," showing looks that evoked elements both from the future and the past. The show opened with straight jacket-like padded white jackets, and moved through PVC jackets that were white like sparkling-clean kitchen surfaces. The plaid and mohair on sweaters and dresses recalled cozy sofa cushions, and the models' barely-red lips added a look of soreness to their already pained and fragile in-character expressions.
Photos by Polly Lovelady and Jesse Hudnutt
Developing the theme that powered the creativity for his Spring/Summer collection, Marios Schwab fell even deeper into the idea of the femme fatale this season, "exploring her anonymity."
With violent strings sounding, classical music was the genre of choice. Mahler's "Symphony No. 5 in C Minor," combined with the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," set a dramatic mood that saw his ladies develop their allure. Revealing cuts were contrasted with large, dramatic floppy hats that fell below one eye, creating mysterious characters, and inviting you to want to know more.
Marios explained that the "designs were mirrored, twisted, and repeated to create decoration with movement and flow as in nature." The pieces were reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour and film noir, paying homage to the drama of Hitchcock with eerie sheer fabrics and dark colors, and to Marlene Dietrich with androgynous tailored suits teamed with long silk gloves.
Shop all Marios Schwab here, and e-mail Rae@openingceremony.us to be notified when this collection hits OC.
It's Carol Lim's birthday! The OC co-founder and owner's dear friend Maryam L'Ange wishes her a happy one.
To my dearest Carol,
I'm thrilled to be wishing a very special happy birthday to a rare gem. What a wonderful weekend we just had! I wish you a spectacular day and year ahead!! Happy birthday, beautiful!! We love you so very much!!
Say hello to Jeff, OC Worldwide's new styling intern.
Name: Jeff Valdez Hometown: Kahului, HI
Astroglogical sign: Gemini Last song I downloaded: "Repair Machine" by Vitalic When I was 13, I was wearing: Lacoste Dream vacation: Brazil Favorite place for coffee: 71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea Bar Favorite place for noodles: Totto Ramen Favorite Pandora station: LCD Soundsystem Item at OC that I most covet:Yves Solomon classic Parka in black
It's London Fashion Week and we’re nearly as excited to find out what’s playing during the shows as we are to see what’s on the catwalks. We asked some OC friends to hit us with their Fall/Winter 2012 show soundtracks.
Our buddies The Misshapes made a killer hits-only mix for the House of Holland FW12 runway. What's better than a bunch of bad girls dripping in houndstooth, stomping down the catwalk to M.I.A. and to Azealia Banks' "212"? Nothing. Full tracklist after the jump.
Tracklist:
Kraftwerk - Tour de France
Azealia Banks - 212
MIA - Bad Girls
Queen - I Want To Ride My Bicycle
Santigold - Big Mouth
Work hard, but pamper yourself harder is our motto. For this reason, we are excited to welcome Australian apothecary line Aesop to Opening Ceremony LA. Using plant-based ingredients, the range offers bodywashes (for you and your dog), shampoos, cleansers, oils, and moisturizers. Aesop's preoccupation with perfection doesn't end with what's inside the bottle, but extends to the brand's packaging (medicinal chic, I'm sure you'll agree) and store installations. Designed by Aesop creative director Hiroko Shiratori and New York-based architect Jeremy Barbour, the kiosk has been crafted from more than 1,000 back issues of the New York Times, neatly stack atop each other. Drop by the Los Angeles store to check out this architectural feat and the products.
Opening Ceremony Los Angeles
451 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
Tel. (310) 652-1120
Mon - Sat 11-7pm, Sun 12-7pm
As with Marios Schwab’s show, Peter Pilotto’s fall collection felt like an extension of Spring/Summer 2012. And as the models continued to file out, you began to understand that this is, in part, what makes Peter and Christian’s work so lovable.
Cropped printed puffer coats that taper at the waist and flare at the sleeves, color-blocked fox furs, sequined floral cocktail numbers, and midnight blue velvet dresses that cover up here and reveal there, were just some of the pieces that remained in my mind after leaving the show. Also notable was the rich and vibrant color palette. Citing a recent trip to Asia as a main source of inspiration, the designers blended jungle greens, deep-sea blues, sun-kissed yellows, and burnt oranges. The designers also elaborated on their renowned work with prints, introducing floral and jeweled patterns.
Shop all Peter Pilotto here, and e-mail Rae@openingceremony.us to be notified when this collection hits OC.
Was Mark Fast feeling a little shy when he designed for Fall/Winter 2012? Reportedly inspired by the early 90s and David Lynch’s Fire Walk With Me poem (from the Twin Peaks series), Mark created a collection more subdued than those before. While the figure-hugging cashmere, merino, and mohair knit numbers reappeared, shaggy coats and coverall wraps were added into the usually sexed-up mix. The color focus ranged from a mix of grays, nudes, and deep blues, realized in striped, weaved, and tasseled designs.
What's cuter than OC's camouflage mini dress? Two-year-old Miette singing the alphabet in Opening Ceremony by A for Apple's miniature version. Egged on by Goldfish crackers, balloons, and the promise of wearing sunglasses (which are her favorite), she agreed to model some looks from our new collection.
Miette's favorites were the scalloped-hem culottes—they have really great pockets, so it was a natural choice—but she also loved the hot pink tracksuit. Our favorite was probably the little leather jacket, because she looked bad-ass. But pairing it with the bella scalloped collar blouse, Miette still looked like butter wouldn't melt.
Check out the rest of our picks after the jump and shop all Opening Ceremony by A for Applehere.
Cutting class and smoking cigs in the parking lot––all while wearing head-to-toe Komakino.The teen angst vibes I love so much about the London-based label make themselves heard in this mixtape, which was made especially for us by its designers. We caught up with them this London Fashion Week to talk about their top fives and, of course, about the popstar who has proven herself a fan of Komakino in her music videos––Rihanna.
Tracklist:
01. BOYD RICE - UNTITLED No.2 (THE BLACK ALBUM)
02. CCCP - MILITANZ
03. EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN - YU-GUNG (FUTTER MEIN EGO)
04. DEUTSCH NEPAL - EXCURSIONER ANGEL
05. SLEEPARCHIVE - RONAN POINT 4
06. PLASTIKMAN - SPASTIK
07. FIXMER/McCARTHY - DESTROY
08. BORGHESIA - YOUNG PRISONERS
09. COIL - TEENAGE LIGHTNING 2005
10. NAGAMATZU - WATCH AND WASTE
11. COUP DE GRACE - UNTITLED No.9 (COMMENCEMENT / CORPSE EDUCATION)
12. BURZUM - DUNKELHEIT
13. LES JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE - AUTOMNE 1941
14. RAIME - THIS FOUNDRY
15. THROBBING GRISTLE - STILL WALKING
16. NAPALM DEATH - YOU SUFFER
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Zachary Ching: This mixtape is really awesome. Would you say it's a good representation of some of your favorite bands?
Federico Capalbo: Thanks! Yes definitely, although we wanted to keep it quite homogeneous, so obviously a lot was left out.
ZC: Who didn't make it on to the mix?
FC: Well, let's just say that we mainly listen to industrial, martial, folk, neo-classical, noise, et cetera... We couldn't really mix everything together.
ZC: We all know Rihanna is a fan of yours. Is the feeling mutual?
FC: Yes, I would have to say "Rude Boy" or "What's My Name" are my favorite songs of hers. Both are actually really nice productions, a little bit glitchy with a dancehall/garage vibe.
ZC: What are your top five... Bands you've seen live?
FC: In no particular order: Swans, David Bowie, Throbbing Gristle, Mz.412, and Sunn O))).
ZC: Bands you would kill to see live?
FC: Coil, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, Lustmord, and Coup de Grace.
Any regular reader of our blog is sure to know who Mykki Blanco is by now. The performance artist who uses rap and poetry as her medium has been busy these past few months, with appearances at Art Basel Miami and readings both at The Journal Gallery and here at OC. In this video diary, directors Jesse Miller-Gordon, Jake Moore, and Skye Skii chronicle a day in the life of a Cosmic Angel––which means capturing everything from freestyling for the children in Harlem, to wig shopping, to addressing the haters, to getting real on the life of a cross-dresser. A hip-hopping and fire-spitting artist is what it's all about. Enjoy!
After traveling up flight after flight of stairs for the Acne Fall/Winter 2012 show, the OC buyers and I were greeted by waiters serving Negroni cocktails (perfect for curing those Sunday blues). Designer Jonny Johansson has managed to form quite the cult following with the label, and the front row showed it. Amid the flashing lights, you could spot celebrities like Florence Welch, Irina Lazareanu, and Hanneli––who looked cute as ever in a tiny silver Acne skirt.
Three people influenced Johansson this season: the photographer André Kertész, the erotic artist Hans Bellmer, and the painter Hanneline Røgeberg. All of the artists lent an inspiring hand to the colors and silhouettes in the collection. The color palette transformed from rusty red and burgundy to orange, followed by some camouflage. A lot of the focus this season was also on the waist, with belts cinched tightly around the ribs.
After the show, we were invited to nibble on delicious fries and burger canapés and drink yummy cocktails. The perfect end to a perfect show!
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