Afghan Rugs Inform EYTYS’ Latest Footwear Offerings

November 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Fall In (And Out Of) Love With All Of Us

Although weaving carpets has been a tradition amongst Afghani women for centuries, the symbolism behind some of the pieces came to mean something much more during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Weaving motifs of guns, helicopters, and other symbols of war into carpet masterpieces, the everyday lives of Afghani women were woven into modernist carpets for the world to see and grasp. These rugs are not only beautiful works of art that symbolize and pay tribute to a tumultuous time in the culture’s history, they were also a form of therapy for the suffering women who created them.

While this distressing cultural topic doesn’t seem like the safest inspiration to some, Swedish footwear brand EYTYS has never shied away from a controversial dialogue within their collections. Whether they’re tackling the Ukrainian political climate in Kiev or introducing socially-focused artists with their collaborations, the shoes translate the message in subtle ways—through signature silhouettes, curated artist collaborations, and careful usage of prints and patterns.

For EYTYS’ Fall/Winter 2015 lookbook, titled Midbar, the brand also teamed up with Israeli photographer Dafy Hagai to create a story that documents the photographer’s childhood memories when traveling across the uninhabited deserts of Israel with her family.

Below, we talk with Max Schiller, one of the three EYTYS’ founders, about capturing Israeli youth with Hagai and how carpet motifs translate into footwear patterns.

Shop all EYTYS men’s and women’s

CHLOE DEWBERRY: Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the current EYTYS collection?
MAX SCHILLER: The collection is built upon a merge of functional detailing and confident proportions with a focus on rich colors and water-resistant materials. The main inspiration has been Afghan war rugs—modernist carpets with motifs based on the reality of war. Extensive research of war rugs lead to a collection inspired by the colors and patterns of these carpets.

How did you first discover Dafy Hagai for the Midbar lookbook?
We were introduced to Dafy through her book Israeli Girls and were attracted to her way of capturing youth with both honesty and a sense of intimacy.

How does the collection correlate with the imagery in the book?
Dafy’s distinctive way of portraying modern youth culture correlates very well with the EYTYS way of thinking. With Midbar, she took us on a trip down memory lane by referencing her own childhood memories when traveling across Israel with her family.

You’ve had a collection inspired by the political climate in Kiev and now a collection that focuses on desert-themed color palette. Where do you source your inspiration each season?
Everywhere and at anytime. We’re part of the generation that has been connected from the very start through the internet, and we enjoy that privilege of having the whole world within reach.

What sets this Eytys collection apart from the past collections? Are there any new design innovation

↧

Fall In (And Out Of) Love With All Of Us

November 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Ryan Roche Was Voted “Best Dressed” In High School

≪ Previous: Afghan Rugs Inform EYTYS’ Latest Footwear Offerings

While most of us can honestly state that it took until after our college years to truly discover our artistic purpose in life, some visionaries are lucky enough to discover their knack during the (arguable) prime years: high school.

Take our good friend Spike Jonze, for instance. Before becoming an Academy Award-winning visionary whose archival images inspired our Fall/Winter 2015 collection, he was a high schooler with a knack for BMX photography. Keeping this in mind, we couldn’t resist discovering some new teen talent. We gave the video reigns to a group of creatives at Malibu High School in California, and let them create All of Us, their own visual experience of love— in Opening Ceremony Fall/Winter 2015 collection, of course.

Below, the film’s young director and co-writer share their thoughts on how encounters with love helped inform their vision.

Shop all Opening Ceremony men’s and women’s

The All of Us short film demonstrates an insight on a very familiar experience of modern relationships: the fact that things often just don’t work out. While this may seem trivializing, it can be heartbreaking to see something beautiful become unattainable, for whatever extenuating circumstances. This is what All of Us tries to show: love and loss, memory and rumination, and idyllic beauty up close—and from a distance.

While there are several different ideas floating around within All of Us, there was very much a certain aspect of breakups that director H. Marsalis and I tried to put together when conceptualizing All of Us. This is the visceral, often anxiety-provoking experience of falling into loose strings of memory. It is the inability to get out of your own head, post-breakup, when the dust has cleared and you are left with nothing but yourself, your feelings, and your memories. This is what H. Marsalis and I wanted to put forward.

This is All of Us.

—Nolan Webster, co-writer

Film, despite the intellect necessary for conceptualization, is a visual art form whose primary purpose is to evoke empathy. It provides a perfect platform for the intimacy—as well as the distance—that is attached to love. Love in itself is a word that is colored by emotions of anxiety, ecstasy, and lamentation. When we are under its influence, life is simplified. When that is stripped away, we are left utterly alone.

This is the approach we took when creating this film: incorporating the intimacy and solitude of love. We kept most of our shots tight, drifting from episode to episode in a very dream-like fashion, establishing it as a primarily visual experience to express the idea that love is felt, not said. We infused the larger aspects of a relationship, like the first kisses and the fights, as well as the little things. When it is all over, what we end up missing most are the quiet nights alone, the inside jokes, and the “I love you”s at the end of letters. We focused heavily on colors, pulling cinematography influence from fil

↧

Ryan Roche Was Voted “Best Dressed” In High School

November 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Bringing High-Quality Wool To Your Closet Since Before You Can Remember

≪ Previous: Fall In (And Out Of) Love With All Of Us

It should come as no surprise to fans of comfort that knitwear designer Ryan Roche originally got her start in childrenswear. If kids can look cool and comfy at the same time, why shouldn’t adults? After gaining a notable clientele with her designs, the 2015 LVMH Prize-nominated designer was quickly drawn to the adult fashion world, finding a welcome and cozy new home with her luxe knitwear pieces, becoming a mentee of Opening Ceremony co-founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon.

This season, the designer looked to Woody Allen’s iconic film Annie Hall for inspiration, employing oversized silhouettes and a muted palette to create sculptural designs that transcend the realm of everyday knitwear. Find out more about the designer (including her hidden talent and high school style secrets) below.

Shop all Ryan Roche here

Name: Ryan Roche
Hometown: Sun Valley, Idaho
Astrological sign: Sagittarius
Hidden talent: Master french braider
Celebrity crush: Justin Bieber, along with my 12-year-old daughter, Luella.
What was your style like in high school? I was obsessed with vintage and made my own clothes with my mom. I had a bleach blonde bob and I think I was voted “Best Dressed” or “Best Style” in my yearbook. One of my fave things was a ‘80s leather black moto jacket with big puff sleeves.
What's your favorite thing about Opening Ceremony? Carol and Humberto!
What's your current collection inspiration? Annie Hall-meets-my-cowgirl-frontier-Idaho-roots
If you were to do another job besides designing, what would it be? I would be raising horses.
What’s your favorite music to listen to in the studio? Nico, Biggie Smalls, Salt-N-Pepa, Pixies, Lykke Li, and my kids, Luella and Fionn Roche! They are amazing musicians.
Fuck, Kill, Marry (Annie Hall, Alvy Singer, Rob): To be honest, I have never seen the movie!
Four nouns that define you: Pink, lovin’, and sweaterhuggin’

Click through the slideshow to see all products from Ryan Roche.

Backless Knit Sweater in heather grey

Tank Dress in pale apricot

Suspender Skirt in winter white

↧

Bringing High-Quality Wool To Your Closet Since Before You Can Remember

December 1, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: A Wonderful Cloud Is Millennial Shakespeare On The Screen

≪ Previous: Ryan Roche Was Voted “Best Dressed” In High School

Few people realize that it’s Australia’s roughly 71 million sheep and a natural blend of water, sunshine, and grass that creates the world’s most-desired fiber: Merino wool. While this wool is used in countless designs and brands across the globe, it is most notably present in Opening Ceremony stores this season, found on the various undergarment pieces available in the Nick Wooster x The White Briefs collaborative collection. Wooster even had a chance to visit some of the aforementioned sheep during a recent educational outing to Australia, where the New York tastemaker learned firsthand the ethical technique of wool cloth farming.

Wool has been a desired fiber of choice since it was first discovered around 5000 B.C. Ancient Roman civilizations bred special strains of sheep for their version of the textile, while in the following years, the Spanish and later the English dipped into the sought-after and luxurious animal and byproduct. Later on down the road, during the 20th century, iconic labels such as Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent would also become known for their usage of the material in their designs.

But what of the modern-day company that helps produce this fine wool fiber that can be found in so many of our own high-end pieces in our closets? That’s thanks to The Woolmark Company, the global authority on wool that licenses its products to countless upstanding brands. A subsidiary of the Australian Wool Innovation, the brand’s history is just as deep and respected as the fiber they produce.

While the iconic Woolmark quality assurance logo was first introduced in 1964, the history of the company dates back all the way to the 1930s. After this flourishing period, new textile competitors suddenly emerged onto the market during World War II, with the introduction of synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester making names for themselves during times of wool access shortage. To take on these new disruptive fabrics, the Woolmark logo was officially introduced in 1964, and the wool business started booming again during the ‘70s, which also saw the introduction of the Australian Wool Innovation.

While the wool market took a toll in the mid-’90s, it quickly found its footing again in the mid-aughts. Today, The Woolmark Company still prides itself on the same grounding principles it was founded on: providing high-quality wool fibers for appreciative brands and customers.

Shop all Nick Wooster x The White Briefs here

All images courtesy of © Woolmark Archive (Australian Wool Innovation Ltd) and the London College of Fashion

↧

A Wonderful Cloud Is Millennial Shakespeare On The Screen

December 1, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: We’ll Be (In The White House) For Christmas

≪ Previous: Bringing High-Quality Wool To Your Closet Since Before You Can Remember

Director Eugene Kotlyarenko’s A Wonderful Cloud is the film for millennials trying to make sense of their lives. A story of two exes reconnecting during a wild weekend in LA, it’s a hilarious and nervy journey that touches on what real friendship and love looks like in 2015. It also doesn’t hurt that the film features some of OC’s favorite west coast personalities sprinkled throughout popular clubbing nights, pirate radio shows, and elitist fashion parties. The film’s use of real-life details between the main characters (stars Eugene Kotlyarenko and Kate Lyn Sheil, who actually dated in real life) also adds a gravity to this anti-rom-com that the viewer can truly connect with.

We sat down with A Wonderful Cloud’s director/star to talk about the film and its inspirations.

DION OLIVIER: Today's world is so intertwined with social media that subculture seems to be less specific to certain cities. Local differences arise during a few parts in the film, most notably in the move from LA to NYC and back. Do you feel this same story could be told in NYC?
EUGENE KOTLYARENKO: The central idea of exes who remain friends could probably be filmed anywhere. The fact that it’s in LA has to do with the realities of OUR story. Casting myself and Kate Sheil (we went out for a second) as the leads, gave me the option to use lots of real details from our lives, including the fact that we live on opposite coasts. But yeah, if you change a key detail like location, that alters the atmosphere, the scenarios, and the types of characters that populate a film for sure. Could we still get the same story across? I think so, but it affects the “vibe" of the movie for sure.

The cast features a diversity of luminary artists and identities, such as Niko Karamyan, Rachel Lord, LA club Mustache Monday's, and more. How close to reality did you want to portray them?
To me, the ambiguity between real life and fiction IS the movie, so it makes sense to have a mix of real personas and fabricated characters, actual club nights and parties we produced. I don’t think you need to be "in the know" to enjoy these people and places. I pick them and calibrate them because I know they’ll be compelling in a movie. As a filmmaker, you try to have a feel for who and what the camera will be fascinated by. Presumably, most people watching A Wonderful Cloud won’t have a clue whether the characters resemble the actors portraying them, but that won’t affect their enjoyment one bit.

As screenwriter, director, and actor, how did you manage to balance each without being too self-aware of their respective roles?
Actually, I think you have to be extremely aware of all these things simultaneously. If you’re an independent filmmaker and you don’t write with your logistical limitations in mind, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. And if you’re acting on screen, not aware of your intended shots and compositions before you step in front of the camera, you’re bound to get a lot of unusable footage. So yeah, I think all those things have to be on your mind at all times. It sounds like a lot to juggle in your mind, but the “difficulty” of things is basically relative. You just ran the NYC marathon, right? So yeah, like washing the dishes could be extremely difficult and making a movie extremely easy, depending on your mindset.

Your character lives in a state of seemingly controlled chaos: buying and selling vintage clothes for a living, DJing on an underground radio station, hanging out with a neighborhood best friend who has a knife fetish, and existing nocturnally. How clo

↧

We’ll Be (In The White House) For Christmas

December 1, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: The Star Wars Force Is With Opening Ceremony

≪ Previous: A Wonderful Cloud Is Millennial Shakespeare On The Screen

Whether you consider yourself crafty or not, there’s something about the holidays that awakens an inner-ambition to be more creative—especially when it comes to decorating America’s home. Tinsel is being hung; lights are being strung; and the White House is being decorated by Opening Ceremony.

This holiday season, Opening Ceremony co-founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon were one of three fashion designers chosen to decorate the ground floor of the White House. This year’s “Timeless Traditions” theme reflects long-held customs that are cherished across America while commemorating extraordinary moments that have shaped our country for the past two centuries.

Needless to say, Carol and Humberto were honored to decorate the White House Library, a sacred room that houses a collection of over 2,700 books. In keeping with the Library’s mantra of knowledge and inspiration, the Opening Ceremony community joined forces to hand make each and every ornament, tree topper, and decoration adorned throughout the room and the seven trees within it. Design details include custom-made book ornaments, hand-painted marbleized globes, original quill arrangements, handmade snowmen with “quote scarves,” and origami trees. Opening Ceremony also worked closely with the White House team to select the quotes from various scholars and writers that are included within certain decorations threaded throughout the space.

“The opportunity to decorate the White House library this holiday season has been monumental,” says Carol and Humberto. “We put our heart and soul into making each ornament and cannot wait for every White House visitor to experience the room.”

While this isn’t the first time that Opening Ceremony has taken a trip to America’s home (Carol and Humberto were previously invited to the White House in 2014 to participate in the White House Fashion Education workshop), it is the first time that we got to leave our aesthetic inside of a space as iconic as the White House.

↧

The Star Wars Force Is With Opening Ceremony

December 1, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Coca-Cola’s Polar Bear Opens A Bottle Of Opening Ceremony

≪ Previous: We’ll Be (In The White House) For Christmas

Ahead of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ theatrical release later this month, Opening Ceremony harnesses the power of the Force—to create a custom Stormtroopers costume inspired by the iconic film saga. Our feminist update? This time around, just like in Episode VII director J.J. Abrams’ take on the classic, the costume is made for a female.

As part of the #Force4Fashion label and ongoing charity effort in partnership with Bloomingdale’s, 11 designers were chosen to create their own costume versions of iconic characters from George Lucas’ films, as well as new characters from the highly-anticipated new film. Each film in the epic space opera is a cultural monument, with everything from the cast to the special effects reflecting the time and decade in which they were made (the first film was released in 1977), so it only makes sense that this fundraising event and the costume pieces within it should reflect the atmosphere of 2015.

Opening Ceremony’s take on the theme gravitated towards creating a modern-day visionary design for the Stormtrooper uniforms.

For the design, Opening Ceremony designers used a white ultrasuede that gives the same feel of armor. For the black underlayer, an ottoman jersey was used to reference back to the texture of the original Stormtroopers costumes. One aspect that makes this one-of-a-kind costumes special is that each separate piece is also bolted together with hand screws.

If Yoda was the Anna Wintour of the fashion world, we’re guessing that he would definitely approve of the Opening Ceremony twist.

All 11 of the one-of-a-kind #Force4Fashion designs will appear in the windows of Bloomingdale’s 57th store and will be auctioned off on CharityBuzz.com to benefit the Child Mind Institute.

Photos by Sean Risley and Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Disney Consumer Products

↧

Coca-Cola’s Polar Bear Opens A Bottle Of Opening Ceremony

December 2, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/3

≪ Previous: The Star Wars Force Is With Opening Ceremony

The holiday season doesn’t truly begin until you turn on the television and see Coca-Cola’s iconic polar bears sipping on glass bottles of soda while rolling around in the snow. Just like the feeling of the first snowfall of the season, the bears signify that Santa is near and it’s time to bring the holiday cheer.

While the polar bears first appeared in a French Coca-Cola advertisement in 1922, they have since migrated from the North Pole to television commercials, and now, to Opening Ceremony stores. Just in time for holiday shopping lists to be emailed out, Opening Ceremony has teamed up with Coca-Cola to present a collection of sweatpants, sweatshirts, and tees that feature everyone’s favorite polar bear. “The Coca-Cola bear is super iconic, so it was exciting to bring it back for this collection,” says Opening Ceremony co-founder Humberto Leon.

Designed in a color palette of bright red, stark white, and black, each piece displays the iconic bear in a variety of positions as well as the signature Coca-Cola written logo. The signature Opening Ceremony twist? Each polar bear has a streetwear edge, as they are illustrated wearing staple OC pieces, such as a varsity jacket, OC logo tee, and even our signature red-and-blue tote bag.

A statement collection that gives Coca-Cola’s polar bears downtown style cred? We’ll be buying and gifting each piece this season.

Shop all Opening Ceremony x Coca-Cola men’s and women’s

Left: Opening Ceremony Leopard Suede Moto Jacket, in black multi, OC Exclusive Coca-Cola Straw Short-Sleeve in red multi, Claire Suting Culottes in black, and Isa Pebbled Leather Metallic Heel Boots in black. Right: Opening Ceremony Pilot Jersey Pullover in black, OC Exclusive Coca-Cola Sweatpants in heather grey multi, and

↧

The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/3

December 2, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: OC’s Guide To Decorating The White House For The Holidays

≪ Previous: Coca-Cola’s Polar Bear Opens A Bottle Of Opening Ceremony

We all have that moment where Friday night rolls around and a Netflix binge is the primary “event” option. In order to cure your major case of FOMO, we’ve teamed up with The Mirror Cube, a new happenings site that features events recommended by artists. With their expert panel of visual artists, actors, writers, and directors, The Mirror Cube brings you the lowdown on what shows, screenings, and exhibits you should check out each week in New York and Los Angeles.

NY: James White at Sunshine Cinema
November 13-December 10
Picked by: Mona Fastvold
What: This debut feature from director Josh Mond stars Christopher Abbott of Girls as the title character, an aimless young New Yorker who reconnects with his ailing mother (Cynthia Nixon).

Why Go: The indie drama won the “Best of Next” Audience Award at Sundance this past year and the American Independents Audience Award at AFI Fest last month. It was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, and their critic Stephen Holden wrote that the film “grabs you by the throat.”

NY: Dinosaur Jr. at Bowery Ballroom
December 3-9
Picked by: Lauren Cohan
What: The rock band celebrates 30 years of music with a run of shows at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.

Why Go: J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph have been recording and performing together for three decades now, and their popular presence on the festival circuit and their ability to sell out shows proves that they’re still as vital a trio as ever.

NY: Oh Hello at The Cherry Lane Theatre
Dec 1-20
Picked by: Natalie Neal
What: Comedians, writers, and actors Nick Kroll and John Mulaney transplant their Kroll Show sketch characters Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland to this Off Broadway production.

Why Go: Gil and George’s The Oh, Hello Show was arguably the funniest and most memorable segment on the recently ended Kroll Show, and this is your chance to see Kroll and Mulaney ‘prank’ a live audience with their characters’ warped world-views and senses of humor.

LA: X: Support Billy Zoom at The Roxy Theatre
December 3-6
Picked by: Carson Meyer
What: Seminal Los Angeles punk rock band X perform a series of benefit shows for their guitarist, Billy Zoom, who is undergoing treatment for bladder cancer.

Why Go: Frontwoman Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, and guitarist Zoom formed X in 1977, and the band’s first few albums are influential touchstones in American rock music. If you’ve never seen X live before, it’s hard to beat doing so in an intimate venue and for a good cause.

↧

OC’s Guide To Decorating The White House For The Holidays

December 2, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Holiday Looks Worth Throwing A Party For

≪ Previous: The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/3

‘Twas a few weeks before Christmas, and all through the OC showroom, OC staffers and fam gathered to create ornaments, marbleized globes, and origami trees to adorn the White House Library for the holidays. Using paint, papier-mâché, piles of books, and custom printed ribbon, we fashioned hundreds of ornaments such as miniature books, bows, and prezzies; models of the 50 states and their state birds; and die-cut Kenzo atlas ornaments. Artist Marcel Dzama dropped by and worked with Opening Ceremony co-founder Humberto Leon to create handmade plaster snowmen decorated with literary scarves. From the tops of the trees to the presents piled below, we looked to books for inspiration, ensuring that the Library’s mantra of knowledge and wisdom carried through and through.

Special thanks to the artists and friends who lent their expertise to our crafting: Shelley Dick, Marcel Dzama, Mark Gagnon, Piera Gelardi, Megan Kiantos, Marc Hundley, Carrie Imberman, Sonia Rentsch, Naomi Yasuda, and the Opening Ceremony staff.

And a very special thanks to our publisher friends at Canongate, D.A.P., ICM, Rizzoli, and Steidl, who all generously donated books for the decor.

Photos by Patrick Spears

OC’s Julia

OC’s Humberto, Marcel Dzama, Shelley Dick, and OC’s Su

Marcel Dzama and his snowmen

OC’s Dylan

OC’s Jason

Humberto

OC’s Heather

Marc Hundley

Naomi Yasuda of Naomi Nails

↧

Holiday Looks Worth Throwing A Party For

December 3, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Exploring A New Species Of #Sporticulture With James Merry

≪ Previous: OC’s Guide To Decorating The White House For The Holidays

Holiday parties are the most difficult types of events in terms of dressing. Let’s face it: it takes a level of skill to pull off the perfect party look any time of the year, but executing the feat with the cold lurking outside while surrounded by family members or coworkers brings the cocktail dress game all the way up to expert level. The cheat code, however? OC’s latest batch of pre-approved holiday party looks.

Whether you opt for festive Rodarte sequins, demure velvet à la Christopher Kane, or a bright Marques’Almeida brocade, your party get-up is guaranteed to turn a few heads.

To show off our seasonal dressing solutions, we headed to Electric Room and enlisted friends that are known to be the life of the party to test drive some of your favorite pieces. Consisting of a writer, actress, DJ, dominatrix, and drag queen, our models for this holiday dressing guide were chosen with the most important question in mind: Who do we actually want to party with this holiday season?

The answer? The most interesting people in any room, of course. Christopher Klimovski is a Melbourne-born former law student that is an avid supporter of the “Irish goodbye.” Sasha Frolova is a model/actress with a spiritual connection to hairless cats. Lauren (aka Lolo) Chung can be caught spinning some nostalgic R&B records at Beverly’s, BB Rye, or Mr. Fongs on any given night. Amy Lousia does everything from making erotic art to UFC fighting. Sateen hosts some of the biggest parties in NYC, always dressed to the nines and accompanied by her husband, the drag queen Exquisite. By bringing our (equally fascinating) subjects together in photos by Balarama Heller, our mock holiday party editorial is likely to rival the festivities of most holiday parties we are destined to encounter.

Sasha wears Rodarte Laced Sequin Striped Tulle Dress in multi (available in stores) and Dries Van Noten Reese Coat in beige (available in stores). Photos by Balarama Heller

Lauren (left) wears Christopher Kane Long Velvet Contrast Blazer in multi (available in stores) and Acne Studios Lace Dress with Slip (available in stores) in black. Sateen (right) wears Courreges Ribbed Short-Sleeve Turtleneck Sweater in maxi red, Marques'Almeida Brocade Corset in brocade (available in stores), Opening Ceremony Rework Gem Embroidered Cuffed Jeans in black, and Dries Van Noten Sandals in multi (available in stores).

Sasha wears Dries Van Noten Reese Coat in beige (available in stores). Amy wears Marta Jakubowski

↧

Exploring A New Species Of #Sporticulture With James Merry

December 6, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Opening Ceremony Brings New 'Artists In Residence' To Ace Hotel

≪ Previous: Holiday Looks Worth Throwing A Party For

While the name James Merry might not sound immediately familiar, the Icelandic craftsman has been working closely with Björk for the past six years, collaborating on numerous creative projects while providing the iconic musician with all of her embroidery needs for her onstage costumes and editorial shoots.

With the James Merry for Opening Ceremony capsule collection, launching in-store on December 10, you can channel Björk and get a taste of what it feels like to adorn your body with one of Merry’s custom embroidered pieces.

The capsule collection took root after Merry’s recent vintage-streetwear-meets-embroidery stint last April, where he found solace in hand embroidering plants, flowers, and roots onto his own vintage sportswear pieces. After spending a sufficient period of time living in New York City’s vast urban jungle, the homesick artist longed for the familiar nature of Iceland’s countryside. To Merry, vintage streetwear pieces from brands such as Nike, FILA, Umbro, and Kappa symbolized the machine-made urban landscape that needed a touch of nature.

By embroidering glacier flowers, moss, and colorful mushrooms atop these classic sportswear logos, Merry cured his homesickness by introducing a sense of growing nature in the pieces. With James Merry for Opening Ceremony, 18 hand embroidered pieces (including sweatshirts as well as a jacket and a T-shirt) will come adorned with these aforementioned embroidery details. This limted-edition collection—which launches exclusively in our 33 Howard Street location on December 10—will feature Merry’s hand embroidery atop disrupted vintage sportswear logos that the artist himself sourced.

And because we’re just as interested to see Merry’s process as Björk probably was the first time, the Opening Ceremony 33 Howard Street location will also be hosting a live embroidery session with Merry himself from 11AM-8PM on December 10-13.

But don’t take our word for it, come visit the store on these dates to see the master embroiderer in his element. Before you come meet James in our store, learn more about the artist in our interview below, where we talk technology vs. nature, Nike swoosh pots, and the difference between embroidering for Björk’s head and sportswear pieces.

James Merry for Opening Ceremony launches in-store at 33 Howard Street on December 10.
Stop by our Opening Ceremony at 33 Howard Street from December 10-13 to see James Merry hand embroider select pieces. Follow our Twitter for real-time updates.

Want the chance to have James embroider one of your own pieces? Take a pic of your best throwback item, photo-tag your tweets/Instas @OpeningCeremony and hashtag #SportiCulture … James will select his favorite clothing entry to embroider in-store

CHLOE DEWBERRY: When did you first discover the craft of embroidery?
JAMES MERRY: The first time that I made something with a n

↧

Opening Ceremony Brings New 'Artists In Residence' To Ace Hotel

December 7, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Here’s Your Chance To Have James Merry Hand Embroider Your Fave Throwback Piece

≪ Previous: Exploring A New Species Of #Sporticulture With James Merry

This month, the Opening Ceremony team was honored to be invited to curate Ace Hotel’s Artists in Residency program, also known as Ace AIR. Each Sunday in December, we will be inviting artists and friends over to spend the night with us at Ace Hotel New York and allow them to create whatever masterpiece (or pieces) that they see fit. Sunday night was our first night in the program, and we took our own Opening Ceremony at Ace Hotel staff and threw them into the room to create.

After a few glasses of prosecco and some pizza to get the creative juices flowing, we began painting, taping, drawing, and wrapping things in plastic. We laughed; we danced; we even played “Heads Up.” We wore Korean face masks and even painted a hairnet on Tayne. What did we end up with? A beautiful book documenting all of our work, our teamwork, and an overall fun time.

Thanks Ace Hotel!

Photos by David Loring-Lee

↧

Here’s Your Chance To Have James Merry Hand Embroider Your Fave Throwback Piece

December 7, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Goldlink Creates Breakup Songs For The Future Bounce Set

≪ Previous: Opening Ceremony Brings New 'Artists In Residence' To Ace Hotel

By now, you’ve probably been drooling over the James Merry for Opening Ceremony hand embroidered vintage sportswear pieces that we’ve been posting on our social media channels. From Kappa jackets with root embroidery to FILA sweatshirts with a custom made mushroom touch, the botany-meets-sportswear options are endless. This limited-edition capsule collection will be on sale starting on December 10, and to celebrate the occasion, the Icelandic artist will be in our 33 Howard Street location December 10-13 from 11AM to 8PM to live-embroider select pieces in-store.

But if you want a little something extra special to take home in addition to the collection’s sweatshirts, t-shirt, or jacket, here’s your chance. James will be embroidering one lucky winner’s vintage sportswear piece for FREE while he is here in NYC. To enter, simply follow these steps below.

Take a picture of your select item and post the post the picture on your Twitter or Instagram (Think Nike, adidas, Puma, and more!)
Tag the picture @OpeningCeremony
Use the hashtag #Sporticulture in your tweet or Instagram caption

Get to closet-digging, because James will be picking the winner on the morning of December 10.

Follow the Opening Ceremony Twitter and Instagram for live updates.

↧

Goldlink Creates Breakup Songs For The Future Bounce Set

December 7, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Opening Ceremony Resort 2016 Is Best In Show

≪ Previous: Here’s Your Chance To Have James Merry Hand Embroider Your Fave Throwback Piece

If only everyone could make breaking up as seem as seamless and musical as rapper Goldlink.

With his recently-released debut album And After That We Didn’t Talk, the 22-year-old DMV rapper continues to ride the waves that have been arriving on the music world’s shores since he first debuted his “future bounce” genre to the masses in 2014. But this time around, it’s not only his own genre that’s jumping in to get the waves flowing. When listening to Goldlink, also known as D’Anthony Carlos, his whiplash flow and out-of-left-field rhymes make it clear that he’s obviously a natural. But it wasn’t always this way. Growing up in D.C. listening to the native go-go music while surviving life in the streets, creating his own music was originally the last thing on his mind. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that Goldlink discovered his true talent behind the mic. “I just started doing music because I had nothing else to do and all the homies wanted to do it,” the rapper says, nonchalantly. “I ended up picking up on it and people were like, ‘You’re actually kind of good.’”

This statement of approval from family, neighbors, and contemporaries alike is quickly becoming an understatement. Since premiering his first mixtape, The God Complex, in the summer of 2014, Goldlink has climbed from his celebrated Soundcloud profile to the high ranks of the music blogosphere and festival circuits, perplexing and enticing listeners with his devil-may-care flow and genre-bending beats. On the raucous, critically-acclaimed The God Complex, Goldlink managed to give Slick Rick a run for his nighttime storytelling money with the mixtape’s party banger, “Bedtime Story,” where he made listeners realize that he doesn’t need to take a single breath to provide a sucker punch to the musical guts. Washington D.C.’s go-go musical influence is evident on tracks such as this, but it didn’t take long until Goldlink expanded his production horizons. During this early music stage, the rapper quickly developed a union with up-and-coming producers like Kaytranada while cementing himself as the hip-hop element of the influential Soulection music crew. “It’s like I was the missing piece to their puzzle in a way,” Goldlink states when speaking of their music connection. But even through all of this, faithful listeners (and those who were trolled by his music video “appearances”) were still left wondering: Who is Goldlink, exactly?

This question is also clearly one the musician has been asking himself since his spitting skills and taste for the unexpected on The God Complex first put him on the map. Goldlink quickly learned that the path to success is never an easy one, but it should always be an insightful one. “[That journey] taught me that the world is bigger than D.C., and I honestly didn’t know that,” he says.

Goldlink’s honest preference for privacy and his recent life-changing adjustments are what makes And After That We Didn’t Talk such a refreshing surprise debut. For a musician so private and nonchalant to truly reveal himself to the world with an album this naked and emotionally raw comes as a shock. But let’s make one thing clear: this album isn’t meant to be your own personal breakup remedy. “This is what happened to me; I broke up with my girl and this is the road that I took,” he says. “I didn’t make [the album] to tell people

↧

Opening Ceremony Resort 2016 Is Best In Show

December 8, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Amélie Pichard x Pamela Anderson Is A (Vegan) ‘90s Dream

≪ Previous: Goldlink Creates Breakup Songs For The Future Bounce Set

For Resort 2016, Opening Ceremony takes a dreamy trip through the American suburbs—where shiny motorcycles inhabit every driveway, lawns and hedges are as neatly manicured as homeowners’ fingernails, and the family trophy dog reigns supreme. This female fascination with all things canine expresses itself in Dog Show-inspired pieces. Sleek maxi dresses, fringe-detail sweaters, and varsity jackets are printed with shaggy, affectionate Komondors while graphic tees sport cheeky catchphrases like “Frise, I’m a Bichon!”

For our Resort 2016 Best in Show editorial, we couldn’t resist channeling our inner-Parker Posey-circa a certain iconic dog-obsessed film. Competing for the spotlight amongst the elegant clothes in the editorial is a series of pups that complement each outfit they are paired with. We enlisted some of our favorite pups to model in the shoots, although some might be more recognizable than others. “Muki loves to be in front of the camera,” says OC’s Jacky, whose blue Frenchie was a model in the shoot. “I was afraid he might be too friendly and play too much on set, but he's a good boy and knows when to turn up and when to chill.”

Muki’s brother from the litter Marshawn can also be spotted in the editorial. “He's still pretty young, so I was slightly concerned he might have a diva session. But he did well!” says OC’s Terrill. “Marshawn makes any outfit look better since he's an amazing accessory.”

OC at Ace Hotel’s Simon, whose dog Raf is also featured in the photos, let his stage parent antics show. “Raf has a very unusual salt and pepper coat, making him the perfect complement to primary colors,” Simon says. “He was so happy and I was a proud parent!”

Simon wasn’t the only proud parent on set who couldn’t resist honoring their animal best friend. Kevin Bendis, whose dog Sylvia is featured in a puppy group shot, also shared his sentiments on seeing his dog on the shoot. “Sylvia's jet-black coat was clearly the perfect complement to the outfits of the shoot,” he says. “When she's out and about on the streets of New York, she is often stopped and commended on her striking looks.”

Sounds like street-casting to us. After this Best in Show editorial, we’re guessing these model puppies won’t get out of their dog beds for less than $10,000 a day. But luckily, with Opening Ceremony Resort 2016, you can still be the best-dressed dog owner on the block.

View the full Best in Show editorial here

Shop all Opening C

↧

Amélie Pichard x Pamela Anderson Is A (Vegan) ‘90s Dream

December 9, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Harding Lane For OC Gives The Needlepoint Treatment To New Emojis

≪ Previous: Opening Ceremony Resort 2016 Is Best In Show

Every young girl needs someone to look up to, and in the ‘90s, designer Amélie Pichard (then nine years old) found inspiration in Pamela Anderson… who at that time might better be known as the captivating CJ. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Pichard’s feminine, tongue-in-cheek designs—or her Instagram feed. Amelie’s latest endeavour though, takes her Anderson obsession to another level.

Meeting your idol is one thing, but instantly bonding with them is what every person dreams of. Amelie and Pamela connected over their mutual passion for animal rights, veganism, and of course, shoes. Eventually, the two decided to collaborate on a line of sustainable vegan shoes inspired by the blonde bombshell’s signature style. With ‘90s sex appeal at its core, the line brings together lucite heels, shiny vegan leather, and patchwork denim to create the Malibu Barbie shoes of your dreams.

Want to know the icing on the cake? 10% of the all proceeds are donated to the PETA-approved Pamela Anderson Foundation. Finally, you can justify (multiple) shoe purchases. The line’s ultimate goal is to promote innovative, animal-free materials in the fashion industry. “I am thrilled to be working with Amélie,” says Anderson about the project. “She has such great style and vision and I trust her enough as a young artist, to invest in her (and my) dream of sexy vegan shoes and accessories for all.”

The Amélie Pichard x Pamela Anderson collection will be available exclusively at Opening Ceremony in January 2016. In the meantime, catch a sneak peek of the collection’s campaign images—shot by legendary photographer David LaChapelle—above, and sign up to be notified when the shoes are available to purchase here.

↧

Harding Lane For OC Gives The Needlepoint Treatment To New Emojis

December 9, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/10

≪ Previous: Amélie Pichard x Pamela Anderson Is A (Vegan) ‘90s Dream

Karleigh Dru isn’t your average illustrator. Her taste has pushed her talent past the boundaries of what’s simply perceived as visually appealing by the average person, and into her studied world of style. She illustrates and draws inspiration from fashion icons, designers, and photographers to create collections of visually sound works that flirt with pop art classics. On any given day, Karleigh’s work is bold, detailed yet minimal, and may be as simple and charming as an illustration of a pair of white Nike socks, or as playful as an illustration of Harding Lane for Opening Ceremony accessories.

Featuring new emoji designs, such as the fluffy poodle and the delicious chicken bone, this season’s Harding Lane for Opening Ceremony creations tap into the digital realm of iPhone communication, which is why Karleigh seemed the perfect fit to create an illustration. For an artist who creates all of her work on her phone, it could only be described as a match made in heaven.

Read our interview with the artist below, where we talk Instagram as inspiration.

Shop all Harding Lane for Opening Ceremony here

MIGUEL JIMENEZ: When did you discover your passion for illustration?
KARLEIGH DRU: I have loved drawing, painting, and collaging my entire life. When I was little, my sister and I used to create our own fashion magazines full of drawings and collages. My dad is very artistic and would sketch characters and cars for us to color in.

How did you develop your process?
It was around 2007. I downloaded a doodling app on my phone, and that's when I started creating illustrations that are similar to what I do today.

What initially attracted you to fashion as an art subject?
Fashion as an inspiration has always been a huge part of my life. Namely models. When I was a teen, I would take every penny I earned to the bookstore and buy my favorite fashion magazines such as Vogue Paris, i-D, W, and The Face, most of which I still have to this day. The most inspiring to me would always be the models in their own clothes and hearing about their perspective in the industry. I would make flashcards of the models and quiz my boyfriend on their names.

Where do you draw inspiration? What gets you in the mood to draw?
A huge source of my inspiration is found on Instagram. What a dream Instagram would have been to my teenage self! I used to have to really dig and research to find out what the models I loved were like and now you can feel like you know a huge part of them. Drawing is my addiction. I get excited when it's nightfall and I can just sit and draw. Along with social media and all the constant inspirations around me, I'm usually always in the mood to draw!

How did you go about creating this Harding Lane for Opening Ceremony image?
I thought the hats were so fun and I wanted to keep it simple, yet interesting and cool.

Poodle Hat in light pink,

↧

The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/10

December 9, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Opening Ceremony Pre-Fall 2016: The Lookbook

≪ Previous: Harding Lane For OC Gives The Needlepoint Treatment To New Emojis

We all have that moment where Friday night rolls around and a Netflix binge is the primary “event” option. In order to cure your major case of FOMO, we’ve teamed up with The Mirror Cube, a happenings site that features events recommended by artists. With their expert panel of visual artists, actors, writers, and directors, The Mirror Cube brings you the lowdown on what shows, screenings, and exhibits you should check out each week in New York and Los Angeles.

NY: Lynch/Rivette at Film Society of Lincoln Center
December 11-22
Picked by: Brady Corbet
What: This dual retrospective pairs seven films by the American surrealist David Lynch with seven films by the French New Wave master Jacques Rivette.

Why Go: David Lynch and Jacques Rivette are two of the most distinctive voices in current cinema, and this series offers audiences the unique opportunity to see Rivette's best films—many of which rarely screen in the U.S.—alongside Lynch's masterpieces on the big screen. The highlights of Lynch/Rivette include the sadomasochistic double bill of Blue Velvet and The Duchess of Langeais and two meditations on identity, Celine and Julie Go Boating and Mulholland Drive.

NY: Sleater-Kinney at Kings Theatre
December 12
Picked by: Jessica Stroup
What: The Olympia, Washington rock band play Brooklyn's Kings Theatre in support of their latest full-length, No Cities to Love.

Why Go: The reunion of Sleater-Kinney is case for celebration and their live shows over the past year have proven that the group can still thrill with new material that ranks among their best songs. No Cities to Love was named "Best New Music" by Pitchfork, and the album is on a raft of "best of" year-end lists.

NY: Thérèse Raquin at Studio 54
October 1, 2015-January 3, 2016
Picked by: Raviv Ullman
What: Roundabout Theatre Company presents a new adaptation of the Émile Zola play starring Keira Knightley in the title role.

Why Go: Keira Knightley makes her Broadway debut in the role of Thérèse, and New York Magazine says that her performance gives the production "the banked-fire quality that seems to illuminate such material from within." After Knightley, the ingenious and poetic set design by Beowulf Boritt and lighting design by Keith Parham are the other two stars of the show.

LA: Beach House at The Fonda Theatre
December 9-12
Picked by: Carson Meyer
What: The Baltimore-based indie dream-pop duo take up residency in the historic Fonda for four consecutive nights.

Why Go: Beach House dropped not one but two critically acclaimed records this year with Depression Cherry and the surprise release Thank Your Lucky Stars. All four nights at The Fonda are currently sold out, but this is one show where it'll be worth paying the inf

↧

Opening Ceremony Pre-Fall 2016: The Lookbook

December 10, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Pamela Anderson And Amélie Pichard Turned OCLA Into A Malibu Dream

≪ Previous: The Mirror Cube: Must-See Events The Week Of 12/10

In 2020, a female face will finally grace the $10 bill. Opening Ceremony is celebrating the milestone a few years early with a Pre-Fall 2016 collection inspired by the currency that never devalues: powerful women. Silhouettes are modern and architectural, sculpting shoulders and hemlines into gravity-defying shapes. Colors and textiles draw from banknote design. Iridescent fabrics mimic watermarks, while custom prints recall security ribbons. Money is power, but this time, it’s of the feminine variety.

Suiting is at the center of the Pre-Fall 2016 collection. In a palette of mélange grey, navy, lavender, and pink, menswear-inspired tailoring adopts dreamy, feminine details. Double-breasted jackets feature oversized lapels and buttons. Pleated organza, traditionally used to soften, takes on majestic shapes as voluminous ruffle trim. Vertical wire ruffles, meanwhile, transform shoulders into towering curves. Trench coats are long and sweeping, with exaggerated collars and waists cinched with belts. The Harper jean—the first denim pant in an Opening Ceremony collection, with a dip waistband — adds a streetwise layer to dressier ensembles. Fabrics are tactile: Tonal jacquard and damask create an illusion of movement similar to guilloché, a spiraling motif commonly featured on banknotes and passports. Hazy, iridescent tunics mimic the holographic security ribbons woven into $100 bills. Dollar-bill graphics are cheekily defaced, turning founding fathers into founding mothers.

Accessories also play on currency. Pre-Fall 2016 handbags including the Nokki crossbody, the Lyo Zip Pouch, and the Penny Double Coin Purse are inlayed and embossed with new Opening Ceremony coin artwork, using the facade of our 33 Howard Street flagship store in New York as its face. The Penny is a new silhouette this season; it comes in metallic silver leather with a crossbody strap and a metal coin-purse clasp closure. Pre-Fall 2016 footwear is functional with an edge, designed for busy—but never boring—working women. The Livre, a sharp-toed slide, has day-to- evening ease in mind. The Genevoise boot takes the pointy shape and adds thigh-high black leather or iridescent green mesh, as well as an architectural kitten heel.

Click through the slideshow above to view all the looks.

The Pre-Fall 2016 collection hits stores and online soon. In the meantime, shop the latest Opening Ceremony men's and women's

↧

Latest Images