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Kriss Soonik In Estonia

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In Straight Trippin', OC friends and family share tidbits from their latest travels. This time, lingerie designer Kriss Soonik jets off to Tallinn, Estonia to claim the award for Tallinn Fashion Week Fashion Designer of the Year award. 

Name: Kriss Soonik-Käärmann
Occupation: Founder and designer of Kriss Soonik Loungerie
Travel destination: Tallinn, Estonia
Carry-on necessities: Notebook and sparkling water
Reading materials: Vogue and manga comics, like Steel Angel Kurumi
Weirdest thing in your suitcase: Special Peri-Peri spicy sauce for my dad
Most over-played track on your iPhone this trip: Armand Van Helden "The Funk Phenomena"—proper old school
Favorite outfit to travel in: Our Alison Lace Bra in lime green! And a bag to fit everything in—Opening Ceremony's Lele Bag is a favorite.
Highlight of your trip: Fashion show during Tallinn Fashion Week where we won the Fashion Designer of the Year award
Souvenirs you brought back: Black rye bread

Shop Kriss Soonik in Opening Ceremony stores

Kriss somewhat enjoying the crisp autumn weather. Photos courtesy of Kriss SoonikWelcome to Tallinn! A sign in the railway stationHow gorgeous are the evenings here? The fashion show venue. This is a cultural center that was built in 1965. A scene from the fashion show. It was an absolute blast! With our beautiful models and the Fashion Designer of the Year Award. Yay!Suitcase full of magic: on the left, the OC-exclusive Alison Lace Bra and Alison Lace Knickers in electric blue (available in stores)
Relaxing at homePark lifeWe spent an evening at Sinilind club. Art Deco exhibition at KUMU Art Museum. That coat is beyond amazing. Celebrating the award! 

What The Duck? A Greenpoint Art Show Gets Quacky

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"I hate how you're just born out of nowhere, forced to go to school and get an education so you can get a job. What if I wanted to be a duck?" —Internet meme of unknown origins, quoted in the DUCKS press release

Artist and curator Ryan Travis Christian’s theme for DUCKS, a show at Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, while absurd, firstly seems limiting. Make a piece featuring a duck? Pretty literal. But, once we stepped into the space at the opening on Friday, which featured 101 pieces including a Dolan the duck meme drawing tacked up on a ceiling beam and a performance piece featuring a comedy/magic show, we knew we were wrong.

Christian’s own work is illustrative, abstract, and features a lot of cartoon iconography. So it makes sense to theme a show around an animal that is often portrayed as silly in cartoons. (Think Daffy and Donald.) Having recently moved to a house with a pond in the suburbs of Chicago, he’s had a lot of time to observe them. “I have my flock of ducks down to a science now—the males and females, the squabbles, mating, who runs the gang.” He’s also known for putting together massive group shows together, which, he said, “were a nightmare logistically but socially a lot of fun. It’s just a big mess. I do this more for the social element—bring my friends, meet new friends on the way.”

The show’s salon-style set-up has more of a school-assignment feel than a normal gallery show, but it brings together a community of artists who, if they weren’t friends before the show, might be afterwards. “He’s an artist that loves to build communities..." said Brian Willmont, the owner of Greenpoint Terminal Gallery. "It’s just fun for him to make everyone create a piece based on one thing. Almost all the pieces were made specifically for this show.”
 
And while the theme is wacky, the quality of the art is high. “I feel like this kind of show, you used to see it a lot more often—these sort of fun, quirky shows, small, but with really good art in it. I feel like the art world takes itself a lot more seriously now,” said artist Taylor McKimens, whose ink-on-paper portrait of a duck brings a feeling of stillness and calm amongst the rest of the frenzied duck gang.

OC favorites included Josh Reames’s Fucked Up Mallard, a surreal painting featuring a dismantled duck—a perfectly rendered duckbill and three duck eyes floated around a background of green and brown mist—and Morgan Blair’s Quack is Wack, a neon-orange and green “magic-eye” painting, which turns a duck pattern into an optical illusion. It was also great to see two animations amongst the paintings and drawings, by Ben Jones and Jacob Ciocci.

Ryan Travis Christian aims to double the amount of artists in the show, and bring it to Los Angeles in March and Chicago in the summertime.

DUCKS is open to the public through November 29

Beat-Maker Teebs: 'Find Your Genius And Do You'

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Between dropping intricate beats from his discography at London’s Forum last Friday night, Mtendere Mandowa, a.k.a Teebs, shyly smiled and murmured greetings. As he ground out samples from his SP 404, everyone in the crowd was transfixed, from a girl blowing him a kiss to a dude hypnotized by his shoulder-length dreads bobbing to the beat.

Teebs’ music is famous for absorbing its listeners into a rich tapestry of sounds, from jazz recordings to harp motifs over disjointed beats. Raised in California, he is part of a generation of hip-hop beat-makers that push genre boundaries by approaching electronic music organicly and emotively. (Pitchfork described his first album, Ardour, as "the sonic equivalent of watching biological life expand in sped-up time-lapse.") Teebs is also skater and an artist, whose self-drawn album covers in swirling, watercolor patterns have become a visual signature.

At the soundcheck before his show, we discussed the relationship between art and music, the first CD he ever bought, and his favorite cartoons.




GRACE WANG: Fill in the blanks: My name is _____ and my music sounds like _____.
TEEBS: I’ll say a symphony. [Through a mouthful of bananas] A great symphony orchestrated by bananas—a banana symphony!

The line-up to tonight’s event is pretty crazy—Nightmares on Wax, Peanut Butter Wolf. How did you get involved?
The guys that throw the party, Soundcrash, have been doing a lot of cool stuff—and a lot of cool stuff for me by bringing me out here. Peanut Butter Wolf is from LA, so it’s all kinda fam.

What was the first CD you ever bought?
It was at The Warehouse, when [it] was still happening in LA. It was like an old CD shop, and they had an O.D.B. and Alkaholiks single. I was pretty pumped.

I’ve always really admired the music community in LA. Could you share a moment where a buddy really inspired you creatively?
Yeah, tons of those moments. I met a guy named Kutmah. He was definitely one of those guys that turned me onto a lot of stuff, like, playing certain songs that I liked [but] didn’t think you were allowed to play in DJ culture. I always thought I had to be really turntablism-heavy, and if you’re not into that you shouldn’t be touching tables. But, he was blending [British electronic band] Broadcast with hip-hop and I was like, “You can do this?”

You’ve said that you felt like making your first album, Ardour, helped you deal with a lot of personal things. Could you talk a bit about that?
Yeah, it definitely was a crazy time—my family basically fell apart, but at the same time I was experimenting with music. It was a lot of roller-coaster emotions, just really hectic. But, the record definitely pinpointed certain emotions. I thought, "I can just write it down here and not re

It's The Haas Brothers' 'Cool World,' We're Just Living In It

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The Haas Brothers, design wunderkinds Simon and Nikolai Haas, talk over one another as only close siblings can, in a conversation style which clearly fuels each others’ creativity. Raised in Austin but acculturated in Los Angeles by a veritable army of influencers such as Laura Dern and Vincent Gallo, the fraternal twin brothers fled from day jobs and half-started creative careers two years ago to leap head-first into the design world.

In only two years’ time, the duo has turned design principles on their head and spread their legs open wide with a humorous, animalistic, and unapologetically sexualized approach to decor. Simon and Niki operate out of a studio in Downtown Los Angeles. Their mantra: do what feels right, free of all inhibitions. Easier said than done for most, but with a bond as strong as these two, taking risks is easy.

With each leap of faith, opportunity follows. Alex Calderwood, the late great proprietor of the Ace Hotel Group, commissioned the brothers to sketch a mischievous mural showcasing LA’s showbiz history in the lobby of their Downtown Los Angeles location. They collaborated with the inimitable Donatella Versace on last year’s Versace Home collection. In June, their “Sex Room,” a voyeuristic room modeled after porn shops, where viewers are invited to explore their sensuality individually, debuted at Design Miami/Basel. Their work has appeared in the pages of Vanity Fair, W Magazine, and PIN-UP Magazine—and now in their first book, The Haas Brothers Volume 1 from R & Company.

On November 4, the Haas Brothers will unleash their first New York exhibition, Cool World, at R & Company Gallery in Tribeca. The show’s name references the 1992 film Cool World, starring Brad Pitt, Kim Basinger, and Gabriel Byrne, which follows a cartoonist who falls into a sordid animated world of his own creation. The Haas Brothers couldn’t say much more about the film because to this day they have not seen it. The PG-13-rated film was strictly off-limits to them as children, but its taboo subject matter and fantasy, panned by critics and neglected at the box office, remains a source of inspiration. Their gallery show will present artifacts from their own world, including the infamous “Sex Room” installation.

We were fortunate enough to grab a few minutes two-on-one with the Haas Brothers at their book signing at MOCA Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, where the twins raced through a stream of consciousness that hit upon their upcoming exhibition, their new book, and their “Uncle Terry”—that’s Terrence Malick to the rest of us.


NOAH ADLER: Tell us a little bit about your show Cool World.
SIMON HAAS: We wanted to explore the human and cartoon dynamic, where cartoons are the pieces that you can’t really express as a human.
NIKI HAAS: When we were kids, anybody of our generation wasn’t allowed to see [Cool World]. We never saw it. What was so intriguing was the sex and drugs… I think? That’s what’s in the trailer.
SH: And we had loved Roger Rabbit too, so we wanted more than anything to see this movie. I remember Niki had it on his calendar and was counting the days for months and then we couldn’t go. Now, it represents a memory. We’ve dealt with a lot of sexual issues in

New Yorkers Are Desperate For Greenery

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At 107 West 28th Street, Planthouse Gallery sits on Manhattan’s densest stretch of urban jungle. On a recent afternoon, buds and stalks crowded the sidewalk as trucks unloaded giant pumpkins. Peonies and hyacinth drank up the rain.

Planthouse houses few actual plants compared to its Chelsea neighbors. Ideas about plants, however, are abundant. The gallery's current exhibition, The Floral Ghost, pays homage to the building and neighborhood's history. Formerly a flower shop, the gallery was founded by Katie Michel and Brad Ewing, colleagues at the nearby Grenfell Press, in 2013. The pair kept the florist's name, business card, and logo. For The Floral Ghost, they and curators May Castleberry and Raymond Foye commissioned seven artists—including Katia Santibañez, Anton Würth, and Susan Orlean—to create work based on an image of faded botanical wallpaper originally scraped off the shop’s walls. The result is a potpourri of group work: prints, paintings, photographs, etchings, a wall drawing, and an essay by Orlean (the celebrated author of The Orchid Thief, which later was turned into the 2002 Spike Jonze film, Adaptation).

It’s no coincidence that much of the art in this exhibition is ephemeral. Like many of Manhattan’s industrial districts, the Flower District is on its last act. It first emerged in the 1890s, catering to shoppers at the nearby Ladies’ Mile, and bloomed for decades before being rezoned in 1995 to make room for residential buildings. (Planthouse will have to move again next year, when their landlord sells its building.) As articles about the "wilting" of the district reveal, New Yorkers have a tendency to rhapsodize the man-made forest as if it were a natural one. “I do think being so bound in concrete and asphalt makes plant life very special," Orlean told Opening Ceremony in an e-mail. "You know this is the case when you see the collections of tiny potted plants on fire escapes—someone is desperate for greenery."

In her essay also titled The Floral Ghost—one of the first pieces she’s written about plants since 1998's Orchid Thief—Orlean recalls her first time in the strange, verdant oasis. “I do remember the shock of seeing this quiver of greenery on the gray Manhattan sidewalk, not displayed as decoration but as product, as merchandise." It was, in other words, strange to see such "singular and beautiful" objects as flowers—destined for "a flower arrangement bought as an apology or a little green something to brighten a dreary corner"—clumped together for sale on something so literally pedestrian as the 28th Street sidewalk. 

When you think about it this way, plants have a lot in common with art about plants—or art in general, even. Both are unique, emotionally resonant objects which exist uncomfortably within commercial economies. As with that special orchid, it's strange to think about paintings being sold, boxed up, and shipped to retail outlets (a.k.a. galleries) around the world. It's also interesting fodder for an exhibit, a fact that the self-reflective Floral Ghost proves. The exhibit deals openly with the commerce of plants and of art: In Simryn Gill's Channell, for instance, ocean freighters linger in the horizon behind a lagoon of trees. Others works, like Katia Santibañez's wall drawing of maple leaves in vari

East Meets West: Isa Arfen Fall/Winter 2014

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When she wasn't in front of Andy Warhol's camera or marrying restaurant entrepreneurs, '80s muse Tina Chow was slowly taking the fashion world by storm with her sophisticated taste and effortless appeal. Hailed as the prime innovator of minimal chic by Karl Lagerfeld, the model/designer/activist managed to bring simple, effortless fashion to the forefront during a time where the mantra "the bigger the hair and more sparkly the dress, the better" rang true.

With Tina's aesthetic that seamlessly blended both Japanese minimalism and American pop sensibility, it's only fitting that Isa Arfen designer Serafina Sama looked to the classic It Girl as a source of inspiration for her Fall/Winter 2014 collection. The London-based brand has always focused on relaxed, elegant pieces that embody the allure of late '80s Italian fashion with both pride and tongue-in-cheek wit.  

Less is more in a Fall/Winter collection where East meets West in the most understated way. With a Wrap Around jacket that screams Eastern simplicity and grey culottes that take the wearer on a trip back to NYC in the '80s, Chow's influence on the collection could not be more apparent. Asymmetrical sleeves also make an unexpected return in a way that Tina would most definitely have approved of

Shop all Isa Arfen here
Wrap 'Around Around' Jacket in haribo Long Patchwork Mohair Coat in teal Bra Top in espresso Cross-Back Button-Down Dress in grey Asymmetrical 3/4 Sleeve Top in black

Paint Project: 8 Angelenos Try Their Hand At Modern Art

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In the historic warehouse district in downtown LA, 356 Mission is nestled amongst old factories on an unassuming street where you can find Jonathan Horowitz's Dots exhibition. A total of 590 participants painted a "perfect" 11-by-11-inch smooth, machine-like dot with only a paintbrush and paint. However, this seemingly easy task didn't turn out to be that simple for most. The variations of outcomes are apparent up close, but from far away, they create a vibrant pattern. Below, eight participants share their experiences contributing to this unique project.

Shop Opening Ceremony x Jonathan Horowitz here



"It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. It took longer than I thought—every time I kept trying to fix it, I kept making it worse. It tested my patience." —Megan Kenney, 18, Glendale 

"I learned I am usually moving too fast." —Oliver Sweet, 30, Boyle Heights 

"This is nearly impossible and a little maddening trying to make it perfect. I got to a point where I just accepted the outcome." —Heidi Gaudet, 25, Highland Park

"I learned to let things go and embrace and accept the process and that it will never be perfect." —Noah Adler, 28, West Hollywood

"Patience" —Aaron Wrinkle, 36, Chinatown 

"I learned that I can paint!... a dot, at least. And it felt good painting it." —Geoffrey Anenberg, 35, Silver Lake 

"[I realized that] I don't know how to hold a paintbrush." —Grant Knits, 32, Downtown Arts District

"What I learned about myself? Not sure, but watching people around me doing the same thing with the same materials and the results being so different/not different was interesting." —Julia M. Leonard, 30-something, Echo Park

356 Mission
Los Angeles, CA 90033
MAP "It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. It took longer than I thought—every time I kept trying to fix it, I kept making it worse. It tested my patience." —Megan Kenney. Photos by Stryder Bartow "I learned I am usually moving too fast." —Oliver Sweet"This is nearly impossible and a little maddening trying to make it perfect. I got to a point where I just accepted the outcome." —Heidi Gaudet"I learned to let things go and embrace and accept the process and that it will never be perfect." —Noah Adler"Patience" —Aaron Wrinkle"I learned that I can paint!... a dot, at least. And it felt good painting it." —Geoffrey Anenberg"[I realized that] I don't know how to hold a paintbrush." —Grant

Forget Halloween, Channel Your Favorite Cartoon Character All Year Long

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For one day a year, dressing up as a Game of Thrones character while drinking your fair share of spiked cider is not just socially acceptable—it's festive. Yes, we're talking about Halloween—the perfect time of year to tap into your inner child and channel your favorite nostalgic cartoon characters from movies and television shows past.

However, like a saddened kid after the candy is gone, the end of Halloween can be just as traumatic for adults who wake up the next morning and realize they spent too much cheddar on a costume. What to do with that atrocious get-up you just spent serious cash on? 

At OC, we believe that costume pieces can be incorporated into everyday outfits with the right touch. Yes, why of course, you can live lavishly in your Alexander Terekhov Fur Coat after you shed your Cruella de Vil outfit. Sure, the Jonathan Horowitz Jacket and Jeans can be paired together to create the perfect 101 Dalmations outfit, but each separate piece also provides a pop of print that brings a sense of energy to any drab outfit. And while we all wish we could all be as snarky and quick-witted as Space Ghost 365 days a year, you can still continue to channel the space host year-round with the Hartono Jersey, which acts as the perfectly-snug neutral tee. 

Halloween is just one day a year, but the pieces you choose to wear shouldn't be a one-time deal.

Check out our slideshow above to find out how to channel your favorite cartoon characters for Halloween... and the other 364 days of the year.



 

If you're dressing up as Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations, try the... Alexander Terekhov Fur Coat in white. Post-Halloween: pair this jacket with ANYTHING. It doesn't matter if it's with sweapants and slippers—you're still going to look like a million bucks. 


If you're dressing up as Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon, try the... Kiko Mizuhara for Opening Ceremony Strike Sisters Satin Sailor Jumpsuit in navy. Post-Halloween: pair the jumpsuit with the Niels Peeraer Backpack for a look that is super kawaii year-round. 

Hey, Sugar: 9 Best Candies You've Never Heard Of

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“What are you doing?” my friend inquired, staring at me as I slipped my hand inside my bag. 

“Nothing.” I had been caught exhuming a Skittle from the bottom of my purse. 

“You’re the only adult I know that actually eats candy as food!” she said.

It’s not healthy to eat candy as food. We all know this. 

But I also know that it’s pretty hard to make people soften with a selection of multivitamins. So, I am rarely without candy either in my handbag or scattered about in my office and house. 

It’s become a little of an urban legend, me and my crazy eating habits and my apartment full of sugar. In truth, it’s not so sexy, but I stand behind the pragmatism of serving endless bowls of candy at a party. Does anyone really like passed hors d’oeuvres? 

A typical night on my dining room table or ottoman includes hand bowls of hard taffy, sparkly frosted gummy peaches, pillowy sour apple rings, gelatin worms, pinwheel lollipops, and unidentifiable slabs with ancient wrappers and names like Slo Poke. On the bar top, there are snobby candied violets and those Italian boxes of Pastiglie Leone. Sometimes I will soak gummies in vodka or drop them in Champagne. 

If you’re nervous about all this, Halloween is an easy excuse to experiment. How boring to buy those prepackaged mixes at the drugstore when you can visit Lower East Side hold out Economy Candy and create pretty, monochromatic bowls (Red HotsFireballs! Those ubiquitous Strawberry Bon Bons). 

Candy is indulgent, naughty, and kind of ridiculous. It's a very silly, simple pleasure. Here, the nine best candies you won't find in that super-sized fun pack. 



1. Slo Poke “Delicious Caramel” sister of the...

2. ... Black Cow Delicious Caramel (bars and bite-size).

3. Gilliam hard candy sticks, originated in Paducah, Kentucky and available in lovely colors and flavors. In particular, the clear with pastel green, yellow, and pink swirls (like on a carousel) is a must-try.

4. Abba-Zaba candy bars with yellow-and-black checkerboard packaging, with white taffy with high-protein peanut butter in the middle. 

5. Satellite wafers with sprinkles inside. Little UFOs! 

6. It’s a little taboo, but I can’t help myself: candy cigarettes

7. Chick-O-Sticks are really gross: peanuts, salt, sugar, and coconut, and they are bright orange! 

8. Choward’s Violet gum—perfect purple squares in a lovely silvery box with the be

Fat Joe Approves Of Abby Cochran's Outfit

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It’s no secret that Opening Ceremony surrounds itself with the most unique personalities in the game—staff included! If you’ve walked into any of our brick and mortars, you’ve definitely said hello to a few friendly faces. As part of our weekly #OCFaves series, get to know our team as they pick out their favorite new arrivals and turn 'em sartorial.



Who: Abby Cochran from OCNY women's shop
Where are you from? Delaware
Tell us what you’re wearing here: I'm wearing the Helen Lawrence Layered Uneven Sleeveless Top in putty over the Acne Studios Delight Merino Boxy Turtleneck Sweater in black and Acne Studios and Dries Van Noten Wide-Leg Trousers in black. I'm also wearing Dries Van Noten Textured Ankle Boots in silver and a Jean Paul Gaultier Fur Clutch. 
And your personal twist: I'm wearing this Helen Lawrence top backwards.  
If this outfit were a Simpsons character, it would be: Maggie
Sum up your style in one word: Abby
Favorite fashion slang: "It's subtle, but in a good way."
Song or mixtape you’ve been obsessed with lately: Trap God 3 from Gucci Mane
Last movie you watched on Netflix: The entire first season of BoJack Horseman  
iPhone or Android: iPhone
iMessage or FaceTime: iMessage, never FaceTime
Last moment that made you truly LOL: When Fat Joe complimented me on this outfit
Last good art you saw: The Chanel locker room installation at Bergdorf's ; )
Favorite spot to people watch: Crosby street; it's also great for dog watching
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Home Sweet Home in the LES and Cafe El Portal on Elizabeth Street
Biggest fashion pet-peeve: Knock-off handbags
Favorite emoji icon: The stuck-out tongue 
Favorite #hashtag to use: #lolOCNY women's shop associate Abby Cochran in her #OCFaves. Click through the photos to shop (items not listed are available in stores and online soon). Photo by Michael Elijah   Helen Lawrence Layered Uneven Sleeveless Top in putty Acne Studios Delight Merino Boxy Turtleneck Sweater in black

This Must Be The Place: Mercado De Jamaica

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Since the Aztecs ruled this region of the country, Mercado de Jamaica has been a center of commerce. Even now, when cars and subways traverse the lakebed that was once navigable only by canoe, the flower market is still visited by Mexico City residents 365 days a year. Mostly, they come for the flowers—from sweet, palm-sized bouquets to cripplingly large funeral arrangements.

Forget your long-stemmed roses. During Dia de los Muertos season, which typically begins during the second week of October and culminates on November 1, flowers traditionally used to honor the dead are moved in the thousands. Pickup trucks arrive stacked with the fuchsia, cerebellum-like moco de pavo (cockscomb), fluffy white nube (baby’s breath), and, of course, the Aztecs’ iconic orange marigold, the cempasuchil.

But buds alone aren’t enough to honor your departed—so vendors typically selling produce and party decorations add altar supplies to their stock in October. My friends and I copped sugar skulls, tissue sheaves of papel picado, copal incense, candles, and cunning marzipan in the shape of fruit that we shame-ate before leaving the market.

Later that night, we built a tribute to the thousands who have disappeared due to the untoward allegiance between the country’s government and drug cartel forces, including the 43 student activists who were recently kidnapped in the state of Guerrero. We added artifacts that symbolized the diversity of the lost Mexicans: bras, hammers, children’s toys, and a strategically folded newspaper.

The process is far from somber, and that’s the rad thing about this holiday: you celebrate the dead with beautiful things as bright as the lives they left behind.     

Calaveritas, or sugar skulls, are one of the most recognizable signs of the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. You can even find these cute-creepy sweets shaped like owls and pumpkins at Mercado de Jamaica. Quotes and photos by Caitlin DonohueEverybody's gotta take breaks during the work day, especially if they involved chile-spiced bags of botanas (snacks). A stand of calabazas de castila (pumpkins) lie in wait, ready to stock your soup shelf or have a freaky face carved into them. This market is also one of Mexico City's great one-stop Halloween shopping spots. During the spooky season, produce vendors diversify with ghoulish piñatas. You want 'em, they've got 'em. A pastry vendor rests by towering stacks of moco de pavo (cockscomb) and cempasuchil (marigold), brought in especially for Dia de los Muertos holiday shoppers.We left it to this vendor to separate our sheathes of delicate papel picado from her stock. The cut paper designs are altar must-haves. Flowers come from all over the country to the market, 365 days a year. They wind up as arrangements in luxury hotels, and during Dia de los Muertos season, on domestic altars for deceased friends and family members. 

That Thing: How One Publication Is Changing The Game

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“Let’s get physical” may be the go-to line for throngs of health nuts and one tired ‘80s song, but we’d also like to think of it as the melody-turned-mantra behind conceptual publication The Thing Quarterly. And, perhaps even a call to question the current all-digital ethos right now?

San Francisco-based The Thing Quarterly can certainly attest to the latter. It fuses the idea of the physicality of art, collaboration, and tactile inspiration into four objects a year—turning the typical, glossy-paged subscription on its head. Founded by visual artists Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan, it works with top-tier artists, actors, and designers to create a surprise piece delivered to subscribers’ doorsteps. Some of the past endeavors? A Dave Eggers shower curtain, John Baldessari pillowcases, Miranda July window shade, James Franco table mirror—hardly a roster to dismiss, making these items any art enthusiast’s wet dream.

In its 24th and most recent iteration, you’ll find a No Age record designed by Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte. And, not unlike their work, it showcases beauty and decay through intricate layering in both the interior and exterior. We caught up with the founders who took a break from karaoke (song of choice was “Men At Work” in case you’re curious) and celebratory Fireball Jell-O shots at The Thing Quarterly’s SF book launch. “We wanted to work with Rodarte because of the way they've navigated the space between fashion and art,” Jonn Herschend told Opening Ceremony. “Kate and Laura decided that they wanted No Age's piece Aanteni to be the focus of the record. They also wanted side B to be a destroyed version of the song. It sounds as though your needle is being destroyed. Very intense.” Another dream fashion-slash-art collab? According to Herschend, you may want to cross your fingers for a Commes des Garçons and The Thing Quarterly team-up.

The guys also shared some scoop outside their Tenderloin HQ about the new tome, which challenges conventional literary elements. “Our vision for the book was to explore the book as object.” They tapped 30 different artists to basically curate a visual piece guised as a book—by cleverly incorporating works of everyone from Ed Ruscha to Miranda July. Though apprehensive initially, “we didn’t want it to be a book about The Thing,” Chronicle Books was on the same page—and from there it was a go. “We really tried to tailor the book's architecture to what would make the best sense.” The book certainly quizzes the way we look at and approach content—especially in an age seized by the glowing screens of Kindles and iPads. A book? Object? Art? Social statement? All of the above?

Shop issue 24 of The Thing Quarterly here

THANK YOU For The Art, NYC

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We have New York City to thank for a lot of things: endless entertainment, sleep deprivation, delicious if sometimes regrettable halal cart binges. It's also served as artistic inspiration for generations of creatives, as Thank You, a one-night-only exhibition at Niagara bar in the East Village, reminded us.

Curated by OC alum Gia SeoThank You played host to a booming crowd of downtown individuals eager to see a wide range of artists, from Antwan Duncan and Smurfo U Dirty to OC Fam members James Evans, Fernando Ruiz, and Galen DeKemper. "There was something about all of the pieces that the artists showed me when I first met them that I thought would come together well in a cohesive show. I don’t know how cohesive it was, but it was interesting to see," Gia told us.

The show accurately represented the juxtapositions of city life in all its forms. Pieces included Smurfo's colorful graffiti and Fernando's macabre, anatomy-based drawings. James' paintings featured symbolic, wheatpasted collages of fashion models, Chinese lucky cats, and graphic signage. Galen showcased his Dollar Stories zines, collaborative memoirs that voice the different views of diverse individuals around New York. 

"The anatomy of this city has so many different mediums, people, and art. There's good things and bad things, but the more different things you put together, the more accurate the representation of art is," James told us. "I think [the show] is spot-on because it’s a lot of different mediums, ideas, styles, and backgrounds. The show was a melting pot of art."

A melting pot, huh? Sounds just like NYC.


OC's James in front of his pieces for Thank You, a one-night exhibit at Niagara bar. Photos by Patrick SpearsSmurfo U Dirty's graffiti work on displayOC's Galen with his Dollar StoriesOC's Fernando in front of his drawingsOne of James' paintingsOC's James and curator GiaGalen's Dollar Stories with some $1 bills Gitoo and OC's QuianaPaula and OC's Will James adjusts one of his paintingsOC's Galen, Makalya, Kyle, Hayden, and Dylan Niagara hosted the eventOC's Mariah and Barrington OC's Oak, Makayla, Koa, and Simon

Flare Play: 9 Pants Your Skinny Jeans Should Be Scared Of

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Oh hey, flared pants, long time no see! The classic silhouette is finally back from the dead, out to avenge the skinny jeans that killed it. All over the place, there are people throwing around terms like “boot-cut” and “bell-bottoms” and “wide leg,” and for good reason. With all of these names for all of these seemingly similar styles, however, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. So let’s break down what’s what in the world of flares.

Wide-leg pants begin to taper away from the body at the very start of the leg. This style began, strangely enough, from Navy uniforms, as the loose leg made the pants easy to remove when wet in the unfortunate event someone fell overboard. These from Eckhaus Latta and this Adam Selman pair are both good examples of this style (as well as the perfect seafaring companions, apparently). 

Bell-bottoms start to taper away right at the knee. Their first notable appearance was in the '60s, when hippies and peace protesters started modifying their normal peg pants by cutting the outer seam up to the knee and sewing in triangle-shaped colorful fabric inserts. If you’re not the free love, DIY type, these Mother of Pearl guys are a good place to start.

Boot-cut pants taper just at the bottom of the leg. They were originally created for cowboys and coal miners to accommodate, well, boots being worn under the pants. No longer just for rough-and-tumble bad boys, Marques’Almeida and Suno have you covered.

Check out the slideshow above for more covetable iterations of the skinny jeans' more dimensional sister.  Marques'Almeida Crushed Velvet Capri Pants in silver Adam Selman Stretch Twill Wide Leg Work Pants in red Proenza Schouler Suede Wide Leg Trousers in paprika Suno Floral Jacquard Cropped Wide-Leg Pants in floral Anthony Vaccarello x Versus Printed Pants in white/black Mother of Pearl Payton Wide Trousers

For Keeps: Maison Martin Margiela Unveils 'Heritage'

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In the school of fashion rebels, there are a few kids who stand alone. One original, of course, is the influential Maison Martin Margiela, the Parisian house that disrupts not by clan or culture, but through offbeat plays of intellect.

Now, fashion's notoriously secretive house (a fading title, given the recent news of John Galliano's addition) brings another design rethink with MMM 12 Line's "Héritage" collection, singular fine jewelry inspired by family heirlooms and reimagined for the modern mind. As MMM puts it, these pieces, made in-house in the brand's Antwerp accessories studio, live outside the “traditionally closed Héritage circle”—think a deceptively simple aesthetic to celebrate the undone and ephemeral. Gold rings are split, engagement bands are divided into two, and signet bracelets are ruptured. 

We have our eye on the Alliance Split Ring—a beveled, simple band that winds up the finger—and the unisex Chevaliere Split Bracelet, bisected and pretty darn perfect with any outfit. Of course, if we were really allowing ourselves to indulge, we'd also add the Alliance Split Diamond Ring to the top of our holiday lists. What's not to want? 


Shop all Maison Martin Margiela 
men's and women's 





Alliance Split Ring in white gold and Alliance Split Bracelet in white gold. All photography courtesy of MMM 12 Line

Weather Be Damned: Prospekt Supply Fall/Winter 2014

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Since stirring up well-deserved buzz with its Spring/Summer 2014 anorak designs, Vancouver-born, NYC-based brand Prospekt Supply has upped the ante with its latest pullover jacket reimaginations. 

Inspired by the mountains of Whistler Blackcomb, this season's jackets are as durable as they are innovative. Front pouch pockets? Check. Contrast sleeves? Got it. Leather elbow patches and printed fabrics? Hell yes. Each style comes equipped with a hood to protect your precious dome from the forces of nature, and the fabrication is sure to impress. 

The polyester windbreaker also comes in a sleek black and ensures that you'll stay dry and concealed. And the best part? The baby blue Pullover Jacket features a textured take on camouflage and provides just enough denim touches to make it feel as though the fall weather will last forever. 

Don't get left out in the rain—layer up with a Prospekt Supply jacket. 


Shop all Prospekt Supply here


Images from the Prospekt Supply Fall/Winter 2014 lookbook, which features the OC-exclusive Quarter Zip Camouflage Pullover Jacket in baby blue. Photos by Evan Kheraj
Full Zip Polyester Windbreaker in black Full Zip Cotton Moleskin Jacket in black/sand OC-exclusive Quarter Zip Camouflage Pullover Jacket in baby blue

These Accessories Can Even Make A Pumpkin Look Sexy

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If there were ever a time in the year for mischief and spells and risqué thought... (check your watch). 

Maybe it's because dusk creeps in even before we've taken a sip of that after-work drink, or because every downtown boutique has found a way to slip in some black fishnet or lacy nothing into their glass windows. Or, we've wandered into Enchantments, New York's oldest occult store, and wandered out with custom-carved, goona goona energy candles. (If you haven't tried these, go see Kat, tell her we sent you and that you'd like extra glitter around the rim.) Maybe we just have Channing Tatum's cameo in This Is the End on repeat. 

Whatever the reason, we're finding ourselves lingering on the top floor of Opening Ceremony's flagship, near the displays of conceptual, black leather pieces. Fleet Ilya's part-bustier, part-bag cropped rucksack comes to mind, as does the label's perked-up Doberman ears, suggestive of Elsa Peretti circa Studio 54-meets-Kate Moss for Playboy's 60th anniversary centerfold. And let's not forget Zana Bayne, NYC's queen of the future-modern harness and corset, tight enough across the bone to make Elizabeth Bennet faint. 

We've heard a shopper or two whisper, "This is sexy..." or, "How do you wear this?!" gingerly lifting a collar or a steel multi-ring by their fingers. Does the question even matter? These skimpy, clever strips of leather exude, no, not 50 Shades of Grey, "I came from the Midwest" plainness, but a kind of unadulterated, maximum-impact glamour. You get the instinctual sense that all you need here is a little imagination and an occasion. With that in mind, we had some fun "styling" our favorite pieces on unlikely subjects: a trio of curvaceous orange pumpkins. Because, true fact: not just a harbinger of fall, pumpkin is also an aphrodisiac.From left: Fleet Ilya Perforated Racerback Visor in black (available in stores), Niels Peeraer Bow Buckle Belt in dark grey (available in stores), Fleet Ilya Multi Ring Corset, Fleet Ilya

Couture Gets Sultry: Alexander Terekhov Fall/Winter 2014

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The names Natalia Chistyakova-Ionova and Kseniya Sobchak might not ring a bell stateside, but in Russia they are the It Girls to emulate. The key factor that binds them together, of course, is their penchant for wearing Alexander Terekhov gowns to all the right places. 

Since 2004, the Russian-based designer has outfitted members of his country's most-recognized social elite, from the highly-publicized socialites to A-list stars. Though his clients have different tastes, one thing is for sure: the man understands the female form.

For the first time at OC, Terekhov's elegant gowns and dramatic silhouettes are now available stateside. For this Fall/Winter collection, sex meets elegance. Classic shapes provide the perfect base for indulgent fabrics that are plush to the touch. Lush white furs, leopard printed silks, and rich wools adorn various pieces, and dipping plung lines on the full-length wrap dresses give the collection a proper dose of sultriness. 

Women know what they want, and apparently so does Alexander Terekhov. 

Shop all Alexander Terekhov here
Sleeveless Long Leopard Print Dress in white/brown  Fur Coat in white Long Leopard Printed Coat in brown/gold Long Halter Dress in red & black Leopard Embellished Long Dress in white Low V-Neck Tie Dress in white

Dream Koala Creates A World You'll Never Want To Leave

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“I look at the stars at night, and I wonder if there is a God, if we are alone in the universe?” 20-year-old French musical prodigy Yndi Ferreira, also known as Dream Koala, murmurs against an ethereal beat in “Saturn Boy.” With maturity beyond his years and a sensible set of ethics, the producer initially gained attention from underground music blogs at the age of 16, with his delicate track “We Can’t Be Friends.” Its instrumentals had SoundCloud nerds and Shoegaze purists simultaneously foaming at the mouth.

It is not only Yndi’s organic fusion of live, post-rock instrumentals and subtle IDM nuances that make his music so innovative. His introspective lyrics read like existential poetry, enhanced by his fragile, Sampha-esque vocals, making his sound feel almost otherworldly. It brings visceral landscapes to mind, and it's no coincidence he's also a talented visual artist (the above image and words are his). He dares you to contemplate the infinite possibilities of what may be beyond our universe, through thoughtful lyrical musings and multi-elemental production techniques. In addition to his own unique material, the beat-maker put his own spin on XXYYXX’s “About You,” Angel Haze’s “Working Girls,” and even managed to make Waka Flocka Flame’s aggressive track "Hard in Da Paint" sound gentle and evocative.

Today, we're premiering an exclusive live video for "Saturn Boy," showing the artist's hypnotizing stage presence and musical dexterity. Below, we discuss transcendent dreams, spiritual philosophies, and how he manifests his lush, multifaceted soundscapes. 


AVA NIRUI: What is the story behind your name? Are there particular characteristics of Koalas you feel you identify with?
DREAM KOALA: I wanted the first word of my name to be Dream because I love anything that is related to alternate universes and also different states of mind, between the states of sleep and consciousness. I like the effect our imagination has on our minds in a state of sleep, and the possible dimensions in our dreams. It’s mysterious and at the same time very beautiful. I chose the second word Koala because I like to relate people to animals, as we are all just evolved animals. I chose Koala because they sleep and dream 20 hours a day, and I thought it worked well 'cause I'm also a big sleeper.

You have consistently been surrounded by different cultures, living in Paris, Berlin, and having Brazilian parents. How have these cultures impacted you?
I found that traveling, living in different places, and having parents that were Brazilian built me more as a person than as an artist. I think it's important to not be scared of new things or places. It has opened my mind to think of the world as one. Instead of being scared of what's different, I learned to understand it, embrace it, and become mentally enriched by it. Berlin did, however, open me to listen to electronic music, as everyone listens to techno and house.

Your lyrics in Earth and Saturn Boy touch on themes of existentialism, solitude, and spirituality. Where do y

Is Proper The New Rebellious? Jourden Thinks So

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The OC family is proud to adopt Hong Kong-based brand Jourden with its "unapologetically feminine" pieces. With its structured trapeze skirts, sporty polo tops, and shimmery fringe, Jourden asks, "Why does tough always have to mean masculine?" Judging by its latest lookbook, we're convinced that the tough-girl movement is about to get a lot more ladylike.

Founded in 2012, Jourden is the post-Studio Berçot Paris graduation love child of Alex Leung and Anais Mak. We caught up with Mak to get a feel of the brand’s latest collection.

Shop all Jourden here

CHLOE MACKEY: You founded the brand after graduation from Studio Berçot Paris. Do you feel like Parisian style influenced the line, and if so, how?
ANAIS MAK: There's always a certain cliché about Parisian style. To me it is not so much about aesthetics; I think Paris foremost influenced me as a narcissist—how the city and the people are entirely good at being in love and celebrating themselves!

You have been quoted as saying, “In our times, to be proper is to be rebellious,” which is genius. Can you elaborate on what you mean by that? What about a polished woman challenges today’s status quo?
At the moment, youth is a "trendy" thing. I feel sometimes people take notion of "rebellion" for granted and it can become quite literal. If to rebel were to break rules, I see more people following rules to consume the idea. Nowadays you can also name many of the traditional established fashion houses who sells an "indie" spirit, which brings me to question what could be "indie" now. I adore youth as much as everyone else. I just think it's time we should look for new archetypes.

Jourden is very fond of quilted fabrics, which reappear season after season. What about the fabric keeps you coming back for more?
I am interested in the structure and what form quilting gives to delicate fabrics, and how it transforms their personalities. We were able to build some very nice shapes playing with different applications of quilting. It also offers an instant curiosity to some of the commonly seen textures. Sometimes people from afar look at the silhouettes and wonder what kind of touch it has.

This latest collection “mirrors a girl growing up.” How do you compare the brand today to how it was when it was founded?
Precisely, it should be a girl "speaking up." I have always took more expressive fabrics and combined them with carefully disciplined silhouettes. I love the unexpected light-heartedness when juxtaposing materials that feel more crafted with straight-forward shapes like the Fall/Winter 2014 trapeze skirts, polo tops, and the newly introduced biker series. We work on very original shapes and curate stories between the colors and textures.

You say the Jourden girl is an “introvert at times” and that you’re constantly trying to bring her out of her shell. Do you think the Jourden girl has blossomed with this collection or do you still think there is more coaxing to be done?
I guess it's like it takes more time to get to know a person who is shy, but once you get to become friends, sometimes they are the ones who have the craziest secrets. We always put the Jourden girl personalities at forefront when we start a collection.

This season our campaign captures the model against a vibrant plastic curtain, behind a bosozoku-inspired motorcycle. Exhibiting four perfecto biker jackets completed with Colombianos-influenced hair and plain bare legs, she hold
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