Opening Ceremony RSS

The only thing that gets us more excited than the announcement that the long-awaited Star Wars: Episode VII has resumed filming is a new stock of the Vault by Vans x Star Wars sneakers, now available in store and online. Whether you're a Sk8-Hi kind of gal or a dude who prefers a hands-free slip-on, we've got you covered with all of your favorite Vans classic styles. With Stormtrooper-print fabric and Darth Storm contrast sneakers, the footwear options are as vast and endless as the galaxy. Plus, we definitely think Yoda would give his seal of approval on the Half-Cabs made in his honor. Stellar these shoes are. Get your Vault x Vans by Star Wars footwear before it's too late––light sabers and Princess Leia hair-buns sold separately.

Shop all Vault by Vans x Star Wars here

Miami At-At Sk8-Hi Printed Sneakers in white/oyster

Miami At-At Classic Slip-Ons in white

Darth Storm Era Printed Sneakers in white/blue/red

Yoda Leather Half-Cabs in white

"Most Wanted" presents our favorite and most coveted items available at OC.

Just in time for fall, Opening Ceremony introduces the all-new OC Exclusive varsity jacket. Creamy-white leather sleeves and a wool body keep you cozy in front, while the six patches, including our new cube logo, will get anyone walking behind you asking where they can cop that jacket.

Shop all Opening Ceremony here

Did you ever play Magic Eye as a '90s kid? If you did, you'll remember the hidden illusion and depth in those prints, and how it was so difficult to turn your gaze. We mean, hours.

For fall, our OC Logo features a similarly trippy optical illusion, a 3-D-like heavy stich on our unisex line of T-shirts, long-sleeves, and hoodies. Done as a traditional flip on the backside, the logo collection is offered in rich, distinct colors like oxblood and mint-green. Just throw it on and run out the door.

Shop all new OC Logo here

OC Logo T-Shirt in mint

OC Logo Long-Sleeve T-Shirt in black

OC Logo Long-Sleeve T-Shirt in mint

OC Logo Hoodie in black

OC Logo Sweatshirt in oxblood

As anyone waiting for that boy/girl to text knows, updates can be just as important as dates. In Cosmic Numbers, Morgan Rehbock, the guru behind our monthly ASTROLOGY IRL column, divines the stars to bring you in-the-moment advice on important dates.

LEO
(July 23 - August 22)
While Mercury is in Virgo, you can harness its organizational energy to help balance your budget.

VIRGO
(August 23 - September 22)
Mercury enters Virgo, giving the universe a taste of what it's like to live inside your analytical, brilliant, and slightly anxious brain.

LIBRA
(September 23 - October 22)
Mercury in Virgo will be giving you nightmares about how disorganized your closet has become. I doubt you'll have time to put things in order, but it's NBD.

SCORPIO
(October 23 - November 22)
Keep your social life organized to keep it cute while Mercury is in analytical Virgo this month.

SAGITTARIUS
(November 23 - December 21)
While Mercury is in Virgo this month, focus on organizing your office and implement a rigorous schedule to maximize success.

CAPRICORN
(December 22 - January 19)
Pick up an exciting book to read. You'll be seeking mental stimulation while Mercury is in Virgo.

AQUARIUS
(January 20 - February 19)
While Mercury is in Virgo, you'll have the mental acumen to get your finances totally organized.

PISCES
(February 20 - March 20)
While Mercury is in Virgo for the rest of the month, it will be easy to communicate with your BF or GF.

ARIES
(March 21 - April 20)
The key to success is organization while Mercury is in Virgo this month.

TAURUS
(April 21 - May 20)
To fully actualize your creative potential, you have to get your thoughts totally organized. A Taurus needs complete cosmic mind control.

GEMINI
(May 21 - June 20)
If your social schedule has caused you to neglect organization at home, it's time to get things in order. Mercury in Virgo will help you get your thinking grounded.

CANCER
(June 21 - July 22)
Get your inbox organized before Mercury enters Virgo, because you will be swamped with an influx of info this month.

Yukimi Nagano––Little Dragon frontwoman, expert vocalist, fashion icon in blue lipstick––is basically a goddess in human form. She's also a pretty killer music festival photographer. Below, her dispatch from Way Out West in her hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The park that holds Way Out West is called Slottskogen, and it's where I used to hang out as teenager. All the punk and goth kids would sit in the grass and play music all night. Nowadays, it's strange but fun to see a familiar place in another light. WOW definitely makes Gothenburg feel like a big city for three days.

The food was even inclusive. This year, the music festival made a point of making all-vegetarian food for the artist catering, and I didn't mind it at all. The catering tent looked like a little '50s kitchen, and the food was delicious. The best part was the desserts––Swedish Summer Cake with berries and cream is love. The apple crumble!

Food aside, it comes down to the music. We shared the stage with Blood Orange, Mo, Mapei, and Future. We met Future for the first time in LA when he recorded a verse on Nosaj Thing's remix of "Klapp Klapp." I was looking forward to seeing him live in Gothenburg of all places. His closed tent had smoke lingering out of the entrance that made pretty, swirly patterns. The big guard let me peak in and say hello before his show. Inside the dark closed tent, Future was sitting in a contemplative way next to a big Gucci bag. I said, "Welcome to my hometown!" He said he was happy to be there.

We were so pumped for our set, too. It's been a couple of years since we played in our hometown, and all our family and friends were there. We brought along four dancers who jammed out on the last song and made the tent feel like a club. We wanted to do something special while home, and these guys were beyond psyched to be a part of it all. It was good energy all around and probably one of the best experiences we ever had in Gothenburg.

After a high-five parade and bottles popping, we hurried off to see Outkast. I missed them at Coachella, and this time I wanted to make sure I got the full experience. I met the lovely Janelle Monae beside the stage. We danced through Outkast's set, then danced all the way back to the studio, and had a long after-party there. It was the perfect day.

"My last-minute outfit choice was a tin foil-ish skirt and top by A.L.C.H, which partly broke during our performance… but, hey, nothing some good ol' gaffa tape can't fix in a desperate situation." -Yukimi

Yum! This year, WOW made a point of making all-vegetarian food for the artist catering.

he best part were the desserts––Swedish Summer Cake with berries and cream is love. The apple crumble!

Introducing a new blog series, in which we intro the latest front-running apps on the market.

Just when you thought your wallet couldn't handle any more cash-pulling or debit card tugging, the tech gods have created a new shopping app that is sure to get your Moschino Spongebob pouch ready to rumble. Not in the mood to leave your apartment to go shopping for Opening Ceremony Varsity Jackets? Can't be bothered to take your fingers away from your phone even thought you want––no, NEED––those Slip-On Platform Checkered Sneakers? Lucky for you, there's Spring.

Spring, an e-commerce start-up based in downtown New York, just launched yesterday, but the buzz has been palpable for months. The brainchild of tech whiz-slash-entrepeneur brothers David and Alan Tisch, Spring acts as a sort of elevated version of Instagram... that is, if Instagram gave you the magical ability to purchase your favorite pieces with just the swipe of a finger. While the 'gram has been a major revolution in the world of e-commerce, the fact that you can't easily buy the outfits pictured has become a defining factor in the way that shoppers purchase from their iPhones. Now, you'll no longer need to clumsily switch between apps to shop from your mobile device. The Spring main page acts as a social feed where you can "follow" your favorite brands (Opening Ceremony is a launching partner), catch up with new brand additions you're already following, and like or share items via Twitter, Facebook, or iMessage. As if it could get any more user-friendly, you can even browse for items by popularity (new, lusty pieces are added every few minutes).

Yesterday, OC sat down with Ara Katz, Spring's co-founder, to talk shop and pick her crazy-smart brain on just about everything else. “Ultimately, the incentive was to create a connection between the people who make things and the people who love things," Ara told us. "When you see the app, there’s a real care for design. Once you see the items that are available, you see there’s a real curation of people who love to make beautiful things, and of course, the technology is one of the most extraordinary factors,” Katz added. The polymath entrepeneur, ex-film producer would know—she helped start the curation-in-consumer-storytelling fire with BeachMint, and then StyleMint with the Olsen sisters.

So, what are you waiting for? Start shopping for OC Collection, ILLESTEVA, ASSEMBLY NEW YORK, and PATRICK ERVELL from your iPhones now––we promise it will happen faster than you can figure out the correct pronunciation of Illesteva (that's Illest-EVA, not -EEVA, people!).

Opening

In THE LOOK, OC friends drop by to try on our favorite new arrivals and tell us about their wardrobe preferences past and present. This week, OC's Lissy Trullie interviews Swedish gallerist and publisher, Sophie Mörner.

This week, we had the exciting opportunity to chat with Swedish import Sophie Mörner, of the sensational Capricious magazine, Capricious Publishing, and Capricious 88. In the span of ten years, Capricious has catapulted from a modest photography magazine to multidimensional creative operation at the hands of its director and creator, Sophie Mörner. Not only has Sophie been active within the art world, she's also made an impact politically by showcasing the queer artistic community in magazines like GLU (Girls Like Us) and Randy. This September, Capricious will be celebrating its tenth anniversary, releasing the book High Tails (250 pages of horse imagery!) in conjunction with a solo exhibition by CajSa Von ZEipel. Read on for more on Capricious' rise, and what's in store for the future.

LISSY TRULLIE: Where are you from:
SOPHIE MORNER: New York mostly, Stockholm sometimes.

How would you describe your personal style?
An androgynous gay vampire kinda, haha. No, but imagine a windy New York sidewalk where everything is black and white. From a glittery halo, a gay vampire appears, with a long coat dramatically blowing in the wind, and handsome as hell. I took the first step yesterday walking into a huge make-up store, asking for the glitter they have in the movie Twilight. They looked at me with their heads to the side: "Sir, I don't understand your question." I think I am succeeding…

What look are you into at the moment?
I have an ongoing obsession with leather pants and leather jackets, with simple black or white T-shirts and some nice big boots. But, recently, I have been more into platform shoes on guys and girls, and the surreal '90s comeback.

What was your most regrettable fashion moment?
So many. I'm thinking back to the '90s when I was a teenager. Maybe baby-blue satin jeans, an orange glitter T-shirt with a tank top over it, an arm bracelet (!), and black Timberland boots. Say no more. But maybe that was actually hot? Hm...

Can you tell us a little about your magazine and gallery, for those unfamiliar with Capricious?
Capricious magazine pushes boundaries, seeks change, and promotes restlessness. It touches on "queerdom," feminism, and diversity, as well as photography history and traditions. The newly opened gallery, Capricious 88, follows Capricious magazine, but we have merged our focus in photography with sculpture, video, and performance. You will always be challenged, surprised, and emotional when you leave the gallery. Just kidding, but it's kind of what I want!

For the tenth anniversary, Capricious is publishing a new book entitled High Tails, strictly devoted to horse imagery. What was the motivation behind this theme?
I love horses and horses have always been part of my life in one way and other. So, it was totally natural to celebrate Capricious' tenth anniversary with a photography book devoted to horses! It's an amazing book. Two hundred fifty pages of total Capri

“I don’t travel above 14th Street” is a phrase commonly thrown around among the downtown New York set. But last night, the lower Manhattan art-goers put their anti-midtown sentiments aside and hauled their cameras and skateboards up north—all the way to East 46th Street's 222 Blue—to feast their eyes on a collaborative art exhibit curated by the downtown collective SprezzaturaNY.

While the sheer number of up-and-coming artists involved can feel overwhelming, each young creative managed to turn the giant warehouse into an eclectic and cohesive exhibition space. Walking into the 46th Street renovated warehouse/brownstone space was a bit like walking into the chaotic art school party that you never want to leave, beer and graffiti-splattered brick walls included. The gigantic space is set up like a maze so that each room takes you into a separate installation with aesthetically different mediums and artists. Skate videos from artist Adam Zhu play on loop on an old-school Panasonic television near a room of #veryinternet art involving sexts and Tinder traps. Richard Clarkson’s interactive lamp and speaker system, designed as a hanging cloud with motion-triggered lightning, entertained viewers and inspired a whole slew of Drake Nothing Was the Same album cover selfies.

OC's Michael Elijah also had a dark and slightly twisted installation set up that included a video projection and sound recording. His piece, a social commentary on the recent spike in police brutality, was a stark contrast to the rest of the featured artwork, with a distorted image of a pig showering (“cleaning away the filth”) and audio recording of Eric Garner’s police attack playing in the background.

“The greatest thing about this installation was that it basically came together in one week. Things didn’t really unfold until the last few days when people actually started putting up their pieces,” Elijah told us. “Curating an exhibit and having artists come in and build a show in a week is insane, because people usually take weeks or months to set something to this extent up. It just blends together pretty well because it’s all friends working together.”

After a spellbinding collaborative performance from Brooklyn-based rapper Salomon Faye and saxophonist Isaiah Barr, SprezzaturaNY co-founder Kevin Rivera shared the first time he and his other partners initially looked at the space. “It was empty and beautiful and amazing, and we realized we had to do something here," he said. "Our website’s main objective is to bring artists, musicians, skaters, and other creative people together, so then we just started to hit people up and it ended up becoming a little bit like the six degrees of separation.”

Rivera seems to have as high of hopes as we do for the future of SprezzaturaNY and the artists they feature. “It was such a success; it’s been so great. We would love to do this again and do something different each time. Going forward, we just want to keep this collective that we’re working with and keep them moving and see how it goes.” With an already-hyped opening and an enormous slew of up-and-coming artists contributing to the very first event, we’re guessing the only way to go is up, even if it is to midtown, for these artists.

The 222 Blue exhibit will be up tonight for the last time, so stop by to check it out!

222 East 46th Street
New York, NY

WEEK IN HAIKU is a week in review for the well-dressed––and the well-versed.

Ever wonder what
happens to those punk rock kids
50 years later?

These girls take naked
selfies, turning Internet
harassment around.

Have you tried ramen
pudding? Justin Warner did.
"Mmm. Yeah. Pretty Good."

Do you live in your
office? Put on some headphones.
Get comfortable.

Little Dragon takes
us Way Out West. Blue lipstick,
berry pie, high-fives.

Clockwise, from top left: Yukimi Nagano Takes Us Way Out West; The Pudding Ramen Experiment, With Do Or Dine; Now & Then: Catching Up With London Youth; Art or Porn? A New Zine Doesn't Have To Be Either

We were so pumped for our set, too. It's been a couple of years since we played in our hometown, and all our family and friends were there. We brought along four dancers who jammed out on the last song and made the tent feel like a club. We wanted to do something special while home, and these guys were beyond psyched to be a part of it all. It was good energy all around and probably one of the best experiences we ever had in Gothenburg.

After a high-five parade and bottles popping, we hurried off to see Outkast. I missed them at Coachella, and this time I wanted to make sure I got the full experience. I met the lovely Janelle Monae beside the stage. We danced through Outkast's set, then danced all the way back to the studio, and had a long after-party there. It was the perfect day.

Yum! This year, WOW made a point of making all-vegetarian food for the artist catering.

It's the age-old question: What to wear? Do you want to go city chic or country cute? Comfy or classy? Why not have it all? Avelon designer Erik Frenken makes this possible, using seemingly opposite materials and conceptualizing pieces with the best of both worlds. Green neon with black and white. Soft shearling with bristly wool. "Poor luxury" as the Amsterdam-based designer calls it.

There's luxury in the details, for sure, like grosgrain ribbon, leather-trimmed zippers, and a mohair blend. But there's also a raw, rugged, outdoorsy feel. The Transform Shearling Coat reminds us of a field of Nordic sheep, and the Accord Printed Skirt almost looks like tricked-out snakeskin. Call it the National Geographic of fashion collections.

Shop all Avelon here

Transform Shearling Coat in off white

FOREFRONT KNIT TOP in off white

Accord Printed Skirt in flame

Neon Denim Jeans in sheep

Since the age of 15, Marc Glasser, familiar to most as DJ/producer Dubbel Dutch, has traversed a huge landscape of musical sub-genres. Once a guitarist in a jazz-fussion and progressive rock band, Glasser eventually took to the clubs thanks to a bandmate whose taste for “blood-curdling” samples sparked a life-long relationship with the world of Internet radio.

Now, based in Bed-Stuy, BK, the producer finds himself wondering what’s next after contributing heavily to the production of dancehall artist Popcaan’s newest album. Because the Jamaica-based Popcaan doesn't have a US visa, Glasser explored first-hand a unique take on the artist collaboration at a distance––neither one shared studio time with each other. “Basically, the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane," said the DJ.

But the experience was overall positive for the producer. Now, he’s looking to deepen his love for dancehall music while continuing to expand into the more nuanced of club music. We caught up with Dubbel Dutch before his Saturday set at MoMA PS1.

KYLE WUKASCH: How do you describe your music?
DUBBEL DUTCH: Psychedelic beach rave, with rasta aliens and smoothies

Where are you from and how long have you been in the city?
I’m from Long Island, Nassau County, and I’ve been in the city in Brooklyn for two years now. Before that I was in Texas for four years in Austin from 2008-2012.

How was that?
I learned a lot about a how to live a different way of life from NYC. Getting a taste of Southern hospitality was definitely influential in the development of my character and me as a person. I never felt like I totally fit in with the typical NewYork state of mind, and I liked the slower way of life. Austin is where I also cut my teeth DJing.

How did you get exposed to the sort of club music you’re into now?
This guy in my high-school band, a progressive rock and jazz fusion band, started playing a sampler and would use blood-curdling screams in our music that all our parents hated, but we all liked, and he got me into Internet radio. And then I heard drum and bass and house and I got into IDM and Ambient music, and that led into the house and club music for me.

So where does the name Dubbel Dutch come from?
My girlfriend and I were doing a college radio show and that's where the name Dubbel Dutch came from. It's a combination of goofy DJ names that we would come up with. I was Dubbel Delicious, and she was the Duchess of Doom, and together we became Dubbel Dutch. The name just kinda stuck and then I started producing and using it as my production alias.

How did you start working with Popcaan? Did you actually go to Jamaica to work in the studio with him?

He can’t come to America, so the process was through Mixpak, the label which released the album. They asked me to produce some tracks for Popcaan after I had expressed interest in the past because he was the protege of the recently incarcerated dancehall legend Vybz Kartel.

Basically the whole record was made without me even meeting Popcaan, which is sort of insane. I would send instrumental; he would send back acapellas, then I would finis

In the pocket of a pair of Maxwell Snow jeans—black, ultra-straight, looking like they came off a young Marlon Brando—is an unexpected surprise. Technically, it's a silver lining: the pocket's fabric is woven with silver, nickel, and copper on one side. The metals block cell phone signals, and are thought to prevent harmful rays from reaching your body.

It's a techy touch in a line that's otherwise rooted in a bygone menswear heyday. "I watched a lot of Westerns when I was a kid," Max Snow said on a recent morning at his studio in Jersey City, in front of an unfinished screen print of Roy Rogers. "I think it informed my opinion of how people should behave." And, of course, dress. The collection, the first of his new eponymous line sold exclusively at Opening Ceremony in the US, features heather-grey cashmere crewnecks, white bandanas, and black leather jackets, all modeled after pieces the artist-cum-designer wears himself.

In fact, if you want to dress like the tatted 29-year-old, the collection is a good way to start (photography/art-world celebrity, marriage to one of NYC's most sought-after stylists, and 1940 Knucklehead motorcycle sold separately). We wouldn't blame you. On a recent weekday morning, Snow and two collaborators showed up at OC looking like a well-dressed modern biker gang––leather, beards, and boots in equal measure. (Mostly clean-shaven, the designer recently had his beard made into a wig for a sculpture.) Any machismo was spiked with sugar: the trio brought the store staff three homemade apple pies, using Snow's grandma's recipe. As he presented pieces from his collection, he took one vest, in beautiful worn-in calfskin, off his own his shoulders. The collection's Robinson Leather Vest, is in fact, based off this piece Snow had custom-made 11 years ago, when he bought his first motorcycle. "There's a great hidden pocket for concealing substances, not that I use it much anymore," he joked.

Back to the other useful pocket. What does Snow think of cell phones? "Well, I probably wouldn't have one unless my wife made me," he admits. It's not that he's a Luddite, per se, just someone who prefers objects and interactions to be tangible. "I feel better when I have a real tool in my hand as opposed to a digital camera. Things that were in style in the '40s and '50s will always be in style. It's like when you're in a Philip Johnson house. You know it was drawn by Philip Johnson's hand, not a computer."

Snow's collection, meanwhile, has its own pedigree. The denim is sourced in Japan, the bandanas hand-printed in Brooklyn, and the T-shirts and sweaters created in a mill in Canada owned by partner David Helwani's family for over 35 years. "For me, it's cooler for men's clothes to be simple and exist beneath the radar," he said. "But, what I found was, until now, no one was

LEO
(July 23 - August 22)
Not another manic Monday! You'll be glowing today because Venus and Jupiter come together in your sign, making this the luckiest day of your summer.

VIRGO
(August 23 - September 22)
Does something seem too good to be true? Past-life positive karma pays forward its cosmic dividends.

LIBRA
(September 23 - October 22)
This is not just another manic Monday! An event you were invited to tonight will turn out to be one of the most memorable of the year.

SCORPIO
(October 23 - November 22)
This is your #luckyday, and you could get positive news about your career path that makes the whole week wonderful.

SAGITTARIUS
(November 23 - December 21)
It's finally time to make a summer vacation happen, even if you have to move some work commitments around.

CAPRICORN
(December 22 - January 19)
You're feeling sweaty, but in a good way. This is the sexiest day of your summer.

AQUARIUS
(January 20 - February 19)
A date tonight would be totally cute and romantic.

PISCES
(February 20 - March 20)
I know you're trying to stick to your strict health routine, but you shouldn't feel bad if you have an urge to indulge today.

ARIES
(March 21 - April 20)
You will be amused by your muse tonight while Venus, planet of love, joins Jupiter, planet of fun, in your house of romance and creativity, sending you cosmic inspiration.

TAURUS
(April 21 - May 20)
Plan a party at home this week to share your space with people you love.

GEMINI
(May 21 - June 20)
If you work in publishing, PR, or media of any kind, this is the perfect day to launch projects for a seriously positive response.

CANCER
(June 21 - July 22)
You would be totally right to treat yourself to a decadent delight tonight.

In Straight Trippin', OC friends and family share tidbits from their latest travels. This time, OC menswear buyer Deana Reyes shares snaps from her trip to Istanbul, Turkey.

Name: Deana Reyes
Occupation: Buyer
Travel destination: Istanbul, Turkey
Carry-on necessities: Peters Mountain Works mesh backpack, Cheero Danboard Mini Power Plus charger, Leica C Camera, Local Supply sunglasses, and OC x Tumi carry on luggage.
Favorite outfit to travel in: Anything with my Opening Ceremony x Teva Universal Hurricane Sandals in gold.
Highlight of your trip: There were many highlights, but seeing the inside of the Blue Mosque, taking a boat trip down the Bosphorus river, staying out all night at a dance party on the street, and of course eating all of the delicious Turkish food are all at the top of my list.
Souvenirs you brought back: A Turkish rug, spices, Turkish towels, and a bottle of Yeni Raki (Turkish liquor).

"My carry-on." -Deana. All photos taken with the Leica C camera

A view of Istanbul walking across the Galata Bridge

Lamps at the Grand Bazaar

So many colorful rugs and kilims to choose from! All have different symbols and motifs that represent various messages.

Delicious grilled meats and flaming chicken baked in salt for dinner. Yum!

Enjoying some Raki (Turkish liquor) with Sandy and Will

Inside the Blue Mosque

A typical Turkish breakfast consisting of a dozen plates of jams, spreads, cheese, fruit, eggs, and vegetables with tea and breads. I could eat this every

Only Johanna Senyk and Peter Hornstein, the dynamic and forward-thinking duo behind the French brand Wanda Nylon, have the ability to make us feel like we're skiing with the happenin' folks in Aspen circa 1974 instead of shuffling through the sticky streets of present day New York. While the brand has gained a following with its cutting-edge, water-repellent outerwear, this season it has decided to expand its respective men and women's collections into separates that can be worn inside the ski lodge as well as out in the elements.

Creamy-white ribbed sweaters with contrast puffy raglan sleeves give the women's Fall/Winter 2014 collection a Winter Olympics-ready feel, while the long cuts, zipper details, and cozy turtlenecks cater to the body. Muted teals, blood-reds, and stark blacks pop up throughout the men's Pre-Fall 2014 collection, as well as a show-stopping iridescent hue on the SASHA PARKA (night skiing, anyone?). Whether you're at the resort, snowboarding in Switzerland, or simply cuddling up to your significant other during cuffing season, these Wanda Nylon pieces are sure to keep you warm, reflective, and totally groovy, man.

Shop all Wanda Nylon men's and women's

Glenda Turtleneck Sweater in off white

Gia Sweater in red

Juliette Long Biker Jacket in black

Edgar Round Neck Sweater in black

Sasha parka in iridescent

Shades and a sexy drinking buddy aren't all you need for a perfect vacation (though it sometimes seems that way). In BEFORE TAKE-OFF, OC brings you guides on what to read, watch, and listen to before heading to our five favorite US destinations. This week: Portland.

1. Fill your iPhone with artists on local independent open-genre label Fresh Selects, including jams from Low Leaf, Mndsgn, Dibia$e, and Knxwledge, and their many mixtapes for the radio show Tight Songs. Founder Kenny started the brand out as a music blog in 2008, when he was 17, and has since turned it into a label releasing fresh beat tapes, instrumentals, hip-hop, soul, and alternative R&B from all over the world. When you're there, hit some record stores. Music Millennium has one of the largest selections of cheap secondhand vinyls, and Jackpot Records is like the Strand books of records, with used and new records for sale. If you’re a music snob and only like pressings that are #veryrare and #obscure, go to Mississippi Records—the store started out specializing in Thai and West Africa music (they don’t even have a website). Want a variety? Crossroads Music is made up of consignment stock from 35 different record collectors. We know, we know, 15 record stores in a city might be a little overwhelming. But don’t worry, most places have these handy maps you can pick up.

2. Watch (or more accurately, rewatch) Portlandia and visit In Other Words, the booksellers that inspired the “Feminist Book Store." This IRL Portlandia set has yoga classes, zine libraries, reading groups, and music performances. There’s something here for anyone, especially if you’re into radical books (Anal Pleasure and Health: A Guide for Men, Women, and Couples; Surface Tension: Love, Sex, and Politics Between Lesbian and Straight Women). Like Candace and Toni say in this scene, “We don’t want top-selling authors. We want bottom-selling authors.”

3. Read Chuck Palahniuk’s Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon. Let the writer of Fight Club take you through the streets, houses, cafés, and “Scum Center” of his hometown. I mean, could you ask for a cooler tour guide? As the closest thing to an autobiography Palahnuik’s written, it sees Portland as a wonderfully weird melting-(crack)-pot of drug labs, swingers clubs, friendly and fascinating characters, and zoo animals. He even gives you a vocabulary brush up—"You say, 'Or-GAWN.' I say, 'Or-a-gen.'” Though it's been 10 years since its publication and many places mentioned have since closed, you can still find the “Volcano Basketball” (an asphalt ball court built on a dormant volcano) on Mt. Tabor intact, help clean the baby triceratops at the Oregon Museum of Science and

Back in the glory days of arena rock, guitar heroes strutted around massive stages stuck between thousands of screaming fans and a wall of Marshall amps. When the show was over, an army of surly roadies would descend to cart the Marshalls away in trailer trucks and ship them off to the next town. Today, for our listening pleasure, we have the conveniently compact Marshall Stanmore—a modern-day homage to the brand’s classic amplifier, except you don’t need a crew of hired muscle to set the thing up. And it sounds even better.

Marshall is as responsible for the sound of rock 'n' roll as any musician. In the early ‘60s, guitarists (including Pete Townshend of The Who) would flock to Jim Marshall’s West London music shop asking him to build an amp that captured the cadence that they all wanted but couldn’t quite get. The result was the Marshall JTM45, an amp that was bigger, louder, and heavier sounding than anything else in the world. Townshend loved them. So did Hendrix, Clapton, and Slash. Over 50 years later, musicians all over the world still worship the Marshall blare. Luckily, Marshalls aren’t just for musicians anymore.

The Stanmore is the perfect 21st century stereo. It combines a classic analog look with modern tech to create something Freddie Mercury wouldn’t have been embarrassed to strut past. The heavy-duty black tolex, woven grille, and brassy Volume-Treble-Bass controls scream rock 'n' roll even if you can’t play a chord. Small enough to go anywhere and loud enough to fill any space, you can play any device via bluetooth or run through the Stanmore’s perfect vintage-style curlycue cord. You can even run your record players and tape decks through it (for the true vintage-fetishists). Stage sweat and die-hard groupies sold separately.

Shop the OC Tech Shop here

The Stanmore in cream

Jimi Hendrix, The Bee Gees, and Roy Orbison all in one ad? This ad from 1968 shows why every musician that mattered favored Marshall speakers. Photo courtesy of Marshall.

In Straight Trippin', OC friends and family share tidbits from their latest travels. This time, OC womenswear designer Meghan Roche shares snaps of scenic views and sea creatures from her trip home to Newfoundland, Canada.

Name: Meghan Roche
Occupation: Womenswear designer
Travel destination: Newfoundland, Canada (home!)
Carry-on necessities: The World of Interiors. No fashion mags allowed on this trip! This and my sketchbook occupy my Christopher Kane Floral Embroidered backpack.
Reading materials: Re-reading The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg, great short stories perfect for non-commital reading. Also, many New Yorkers to catch up on.
Most over-played track on your iPhone this trip: "Under My Thumb" by The Rolling Stones, "Natsu Nandesu" by Happy End, and "Night Moves" by Bob Seger.
Favorite outfit to travel in: I live in COS T-shirts, worn with cropped Acne Studios trousers, and white Air Jordan 1 Retro Lows. Stowed in my carry-on are my new OC Curtain High-Heel Sandals in aqua––doing a quick change when I land to meet friends out for drinks!
Highlight of your trip: Going home always feels like a vacation. In the summer there are some amazing festivals, which bring a lot of people back home. "Newfies," as we're called, definitely know how to have a good time. You have to be prepped for some late nights!
Best part: Spending time on our boat with family and friends, fishing, and spotting whales!
Souvenirs you brought back: Great vintage from some local "untapped" sources.

"Quidi Vidi Village, a historic fishing village in Newfoundland." -Meghan Roche
My catch!

No fashion mags allowed on this trip. The World of Interiors and my sketchbook occupy my Christopher Kane Floral Embroidered backpack.

Waking up to this view every morning in Outer Cove

Our favorite restaurant, Mallard Cottage, in Quidi Vili Vilage

Left: Swatches of Opening Ceremony's Keaton Twill fabric and hand-detail. Right: Opening Ceremony Keaton Twill Long-Sleeve Pullover

With a kangaroo-patch on the bottom and a zip-pocket on top (featuring OC's signature hand), this pullover will keep you—and your belongings—cozy. Its sleeves, made of knit rex rabbit fur, are striped to mirror Opening Ceremony's Pre-Fall 2014 Terazzo print, womenwear designer Dylan Kawahara tells us. Inspired by the architecture of Belgium, this piece reminds us of a quirky farmhouse, dusted in snow.

Shop all Opening Ceremony Collection HERE

Come Again: Vault By Vans x Star Wars

Most Wanted: OC Exclusive Varsity Jacket

Special Effects: OC Logo Is Back For Fall

Astrology IRL's Cosmic Numbers: August 15

Yukimi Nagano Takes Us Way Out West

Tap The App: Spring

The Look: Sophie Mörner

Well Looky Here, Downtown NYC Collective Brings Art Midtown

Week In Haiku: August 11

Yukimi Nagano Takes Us Way Out West test test

Opposites Attract: Avelon Pre-Fall 2014

Sound Check: Dubbel Dutch

In The Studio With Max Snow

Astrology IRL's Cosmic Numbers: August 18

Straight Trippin: Deana Reyes In Istanbul

Ready For The Slopes: Wanda Nylon Fall/Winter 2014

Before Take-Off: Portland

Rock Of Ages: Get Amped With Marshall Speakers

Straight Trippin: Meghan Roche In Newfoundland

Behind The Seams: Opening Ceremony's Keaton Twill Long-Sleeve Pullover