Opening Ceremony RSS

Over the past few years, the term “basic” has somehow shifted in meaning from must-have style staples to women who Instagram pumpkin-spice lattes and tweet lines from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Luckily, New York-based menswear brand Smith & Smith is bringing laid-back fashion to the forefront, proving that less is more.

For this season, the Smith & Smith collection still sways to the muted side of the color spectrum, with starch black-and-white tees and clean, simple cuts—the kind of minimal, utilitarian clothes you might imagine the inhabitants of a dystopian universe would wear. Two pops of color in the form of a bright-blue fuzzy sweater and a red-wine-tinted hoodie round out the mix. Making a triumphant return after a successful run last season is the faux collar, for those of you who aren’t really in the mood to pop yours like it’s 2006. If Smith & Smith aims to relay a message with its Fall/Winter 2014 collection, it's definitely to be a true fashion rebel and lead the path in getting the fashion world back to the right kind of basic.

Shop Smith & Smith HERE

long-sleeve polo in nickel

crewneck t-shirt in white

crewneck t-shirt in black

cargo pants in black

pullover sweater in dark blue

Pullover hoodie in red

“It was a really cool event; Telfar always turns it out. Telfar Turnsit... that should be his middle name: Telfar Turnsit Global,” R&B singer Ian Isiah told us at the Telfar pop-up event Tuesday night. Indeed, only one man can bring together high-end fashion basics, 3-D printed installations, and hip-hop jams into one event, and that man is Telfar. Opening Ceremony joined forces with his team and transformed the 33 Howard space into an experience where partygoers could shop racks filled with OC-exclusive items––including boot-cut sweatpants, blue jeans, a Telfar logo hoodie, and a turtleneck––while getting down to the sounds of DJs Crushdream NYC and Telfar himself.

As if the shopping and Svedka-sipping wasn't enough to make for a successful event, partygoers also had the chance to watch the debut of the Telfar video commercial "TCTV," which featured models in the brand's Fall/Winter 2014 designs repeatedly speaking the word "Telfar" into the camera. After finishing his DJ set, the designer opened up about the meaning behind the video. "There’s no concept, really," he explained. "The only thing that ties everything together is the word 'Telfar.' The whole video is just kind of metaphorical for how we operate."

If you missed out on the opening night festivities, fear not: the Telfar pop-up will be in the OC store until August 28.

Shop all Telfar here

Oh hey! Telfar in front of his 3-D printed twin. Photos by Matthew Kelly

Telfar T-shirts on department-store style racks

Hood By Air's Shayne Oliver (left) with Jeremy Lewis, James Garland, and DJ Crushdream NYC

Jeanette Hayes

The microleather shopping bags come in a variety of colors and sizes.

No flex zone: DJ Crushdream NYC

The 3-D printed version of Telfar greeted partygoers at the entrance.

A still from the "TCTV" video that played on loop throughout the event

So many delicious Svedka vodka flavors, so little time

Telfar's pop-up at OC will be up through August 28.

Walter Pearce in the Telfar "Model" tee, now available at the pop-up

Get The Look tees!

OC's Jesse with resident OC astrologist Morgan Rehbock

Courtney Malick, Lauren Boyle, and Telfar

To call legendary trip-hop musician Tricky a musical enigma would be putting it lightly. Since making his big-time debut in 1995 with his solo album, Maxinquaye, the trip-hop originator has left listeners and critics alike confused and intrigued by his genre-blending musical approach, unique production finishes, and spoken vocal delivery.

It's been almost twenty years since Tricky emerged onto the scene, yet his influence is increasingly evident with the rising star power of trip-hop inspired artists such as FKA Twigs and Mykki Blanco. With the release date of his new album, Adrian Thaws, fast-approaching, we caught up with the icon to discuss keeping a low profile, gender identity in fashion and music, and YouTube comments on his music videos.

CHLOE DEWBERRY: You keep out of the spotlight. Besides constantly creating new music, what have you been up to?
TRICKY: I’m around, but I don’t over-publicize myself because I’m not in the fame game. I wouldn’t want to be as famous as one of those celebrities who can’t go out and do their own shopping. You have to take security with you everywhere and that’s no kind of life. When I was going out with Bjork, [the paparazzi] were evasive, taking pictures of me outside of clubs, so I just played that game. [Now] certain magazines I just don’t do. I’m not trying to be the biggest artist in the world and I’m not trying to get a Top 20 track. I know you need money to survive, but money doesn’t really interest me and I’m not trying to be a millionaire or stack the money up. I’m quite happy where my record sales are and I’m quite lucky because I can tour around the world. Success is about being happy; I’m quite happy as I am so I don’t try and push it.

Last year in an interview, you said the state of music was currently in the worst place. Do you still feel that way?
Yeah, definitely. It has been taken over by big corporations like Time Warner. Where are the positive role models in music? They’ve all been killed off or they’re not promoted. The big corporations are not going to promote that because it’s not in their best interest. Time Warner owns VIBE magazine and this is where people get so many negative images of black people, because they don’t want kids to look up to someone like Malcolm X who talks about the government and other truths. They control the industry.

Yes, it’s the worst time, but it’s starting to change now because I think people are getting fed up. With the Internet especially, people are finding out stuff and not relying on the radio. So, I think people in this younger generation are more knowledgeable and can’t be brainwashed as easily. Your generation is starting to believe in people my age. It’s almost like, enough of the rubbish, you know? I’ve got open eyes now and I think it’s through social media, people, and word of mouth.

I feel like your musical influence is more present right now than it has been in years.
It’s hard for me to see

Here at OC, we are struck by how often we end up in everyday conundrums. The ones that land you in the thick of semi (or full-blown) awkwardness, or maybe, the doghouse.

So, we turned to Simon Collins, the dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons, who after six years in his plum perch, just announced plans to step down at the end of this year. Here, he answers a question tied to his news.

Q: When do you know it's time to move on?

A: You know how at the end of your party there are always a couple of guests who just don’t know when to leave? They’ve probably drunk all your booze and eaten all the food. And they’re hanging around at the very end, when all you want is to go to bed and for the fairies to clean up while you sleep.

As a young English lad, I’m sure I filled that role on occasion. But, I’ve since made it my business to leave when the party’s at its height. You get to take away the best of memories––and be the one everyone else associates with the best bits of the night. It’s common sense, really, but it’s amazing how people don’t realize.

The same logic can be applied to myriad other situations. If you’re doing something that has a finite life span, ask yourself if you want to be the person associated with its rise or with its fall. For me, I like to create and then pass the creations on to people who know better how to maintain them. With this in mind, I recently announced my intention to depart from my beloved employer Parsons at the end of the year. If anything could be described as being at its height, then surely it is the School of Fashion at Parsons. Amazing things happen every day, and our students, graduates, faculty, and partners are second to none. The world is watching us as we continue to create beautiful design solutions.

So, of course, I have to leave. To wait another year would run the risk of me being the guy in the kitchen nursing a warm glass of wine and not reaching for his Uber. That’s not me.

Simon Collins

We humans were given fingers, and those digits were meant to touch and feel what the world has to offer—our handbags included.

This season, designers offer us textured handbags that can both accessorize and shine with any outfit. The winners in our book? The Opening Ceremony Stamped Calf Leather Sumi Handbag features a leather exterior with almost a crocodile-skin-like look. HAERFEST also strayed away from its typically soft, standard leather approach and instead delivers us various reptile-embossed leather bags. Alexander Wang, a man who knows no bounds, upped the ante this season with the introduction of his dumbo pebble backpack. Even Jeremy Scott took a break from SpongeBob Squarepants-printed bags to focus on some old-fashioned leather quilted details for his Cher Horowitz-approved Moschino collection.

When you think about it, your handbag is like your best friend. It's always by your side, protects all of your prized belongings, and simply makes you look better. So shouldn't your bestie to be as interesting and fashion-forward as you and your fall wardrobe? Meet your new best bud to the left.

Shop all men's and women's bags

Opening Ceremony Stamped Calf Leather Sumi Handbag in black, worn with our Terazzo Amorphic Front Jacket and Lacquered Keyhole Skirt.

Opening Ceremony Checkered Suede Izzy Handbag in white multi

Haerfest Reptile Embossed Leather Mini Briefcase in red

Haerfest REPTILE EMBOSSED MINI LEATHER BACKPACK in black

Alexander Wang Marion Prisma Embossed Croc Purse in beet/black

Alexander Wan

They had us at Star Wars, and now the epic journey back in time continues. Vault by Vans brings us another collab equally worth its weight in beloved childhood nostalgia. That’s right, up next to soften our cold, adult souls' soles: vintage Peanuts-printed Vans. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus… the gang’s all here.

It’s been almost 64 years since the Charles M. Schulz characters first enchanted America, but the Peanuts crew is still looking fresh on classic Vans styles. They’ve even perfected the art of chillin’, forever kicking back on your next pair of Authentic LX sneaks. If Snoop is your dog, lace up in a pair of padded Eras or ankle-high Sk8-HI LXs, featuring the canines’ shades-wearing alter-ego, Joe Cool, and his trusty sidekick, Woodstock.

Shop Vault by Vans x Peanuts here

snoopy and the gang og sk8-hi lx sneakers in black

camp snoopy og sk8-hi lx sneakers in classic white

snoopy and the gang og authentic LX sneakers in blue turquoise

Camp Snoopy OG Era LX Sneakers in peaches 'n cream

Camp Snoopy OG Era LX Sneakers in classic white

In Thailand, the proverb Jahp Pu Sai Kra Dong––to put crabs in a basket––refers to the act of corralling naughty children. And on a recent Monday at Hong Thaimee's restaurant Ngam, we could see exactly why. As the chef walked us through her grandmother's recipe for Thai-style crab and Nam Jim Talay dipping sauce, a dozen feisty crustaceans came very close to sneaking out into the wild of the East Village. Chef Thaimee, ever the multitasker, always managed to scoop them up in time. Originally from Chiang Mai, Thaimee had a career as a model before discovering her calling was food. She can still do a shampoo-commercial-worthy hair flip, though, in addition to whipping up a sublime crab boil. Watch to see both in action!

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

For those of you who carry around black-and-white composition notebooks like they are fashion accessories, there is finally a shoe that coordinates. The Band of Outsiders Notebook print saddle shoes are the perfect take on a classic oxford, with a splatter print and offset color-blocked heel. Finally, the perfect back-to-school shoe that will let your professors––or colleagues––know you mean business before you even whip out your books.

There are those gym bunny types who roll out in a tiny bra and short shorts with green juice in hand. And then you have the more discreetly stylish like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Vanessa Hudgens that emerge from a workout clad in head-to-toe black accented with colorful kicks. Sporty yet polished, they manage to make their workout outfits appear as chic as any red carpet ensemble. With the rise of streetwear brands like Hood by Air creating cool sporty clothes and designers like Alexander Wang and Christopher Kane incorporating athletic influences into their collections, it’s never been easier to look good heading to and from the gym. Even if the only exercise you’re getting is heading out of the house for a coffee and not a SoulCycle class.

With its futuristic and slick laminated surface, the T by Alexander Wang LAMINATED TERRY BOXY CREWNECK SWEATSHIRT is a modern update on the classic off-the-shoulder sweatshirt you see on elegant ballerinas.

No time to wash your hair and forgot the dry shampoo? Toss this Thierry Boutemy for Opening Ceremony royal composition new era 59fifty hat over your head and it won’t matter.

The Hood By Air Hooded Zip Sweatshirt is a way better alternative to that ratty college hoodie you dig out whenever it’s chilly.

Sweaty classes call for skimpy workout tanks, but you’ll want to cover up with the Toga Pulla Thermal Jersey Top 2 when you’re done.
The T by Alexander Wang leather waistband sweatpants instantly update the classic gym pant. You can throw on kicks, or take a cue from our model and pair with flat boots.Graphic and eye-catching, Christopher Kane's

Of course, you go to music festivals to enjoy your favorite bands, but in an age where there's more focus on your flower-wreath headband than the actual Outkast reunion, what you wear is as important as what you hear. The same applies to the AFROPUNK FESTIVAL, taking place this weekend at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn. With stylish acts such as SZA and JULIANA HUXTABLE performing, you do NOT want to get lost in the crowd of wavy festivalgoers. Luckily for you Afropunkers, we've compiled a selection of music-fest essentials to the left—so you can beat the heat and not break a sweat.

Hitting the festival solo? No worries! Take the MASSIVE for Opening Ceremony lifeguard towel along with you for a digitally printed buddy to lay next to, or rather, on top of.

The Mickey Mouse/Opening Ceremony Steamboat Willie Faceoff New Era Bucket hat in red multi will block out the sun so you can focus on the stage.

Pair up the Moschino Quilted denim moschino embellished cap with any oufit for a festival-ready look.

Planning on lots of moshing, dancing, and all around tomfoolery? We guarantee the Raf Simons x Adidas bounce sneakers will help you jump above the rest of the crowd in style.

Protect those eyes with Prism Seoul sunglasses in camouflage.

The Maxwell Snow Cy Bandana will keep you covered.

Keep your keys in check with a Fade to Mind Lock Logo lanyard, so you can dance freely at the MikeQ DJ set on Sunday night.

Keep hydrated all weekend with

As we watched The Range, aka James Hinton, perform at (Le) Poisson Rouge a few hours after our interview, we were still reeling from the conversation, which had bled well past both its pre-established time limit and predetermined talking points. In our uninterrupted hour, the Providence-based producer's mind raced from mind-computer singularity to touring with Chvrches and Phantogram, from the physics of crowd engagement to actual physics. Which is no surprise––Hinton has a degree in the subject from Brown, and thinks about the math behind music more than your average producer. Not that you need to in order to get down to his latest EP, Panasonic, which incorporates elements of footwork, Jungle, and Baltimore Club for a result that's cerebral and danceable. Check out our conversation below, and don't miss his show at MoMA PS1's Warm Up this Saturday.

LIZ RAISS: How did you move from analog instruments to electronic music?
THE RANGE: I started really early on in Pennsylvania just doing like classic basement drums. Fortunately, I knew a guy that also did like multi-recording stuff. He was a bass player but he would record his own drums. I kind of just nicked his idea of using a Fostex tape machine to record myself and then played with that.

I read somewhere that when you’re composing you’ll start out on the piano?
Actually, my mother was a piano teacher when I was growing up, and I think there’s a muscle memory component that is a valuable part of physically playing instruments. Realizing you’ve developed these gestural things that are ingrained becomes part of your identity. When you’re pointing and clicking, it’s less intuitive. I’m not sure I want my music to ever be super performable, though, is the main difference.

Do you feel like as you’ve grown up you’ve realized the limitations of traditional instruments?
I think there’s this baseline of only having two hands, right? You just can’t really access a lot of texture and sound that involves more than two lines if you’re just playing as a drummer. You just don’t have enough limbs. I really appreciate the ability to make things that sound like they’re played by a different person, like a single will is behind each percussion line; when you’re playing manually, you just can’t access that.

Does that excite you—that idea of infinite possibilities?
Yeah, it does; though, I think the flip side is that the onus is on you to actually explore those spaces, whereas when you’re in a band, you’re not necessarily expected to. It’s exciting to have infinite time and patience to work on something, but there’s definitely a higher threshold. It doesn’t have to be flawless or anything but it does have to be super intentional and pushing boundaries. It needs to answer the question of why you’re on the computer.

Your work incorporates elements of Footwork, Jungle, and Baltimore Club. Are you concerned at all with preserving the integrity of these influences?
I think [my recent EP] Panasonic was really about that. For me, it’s part and parcel of sampling, like when you engage

Our resident baking babe, MINI MARTHA, takes the strawberry short cake to new heights in honor of tomorrow's very important holiday, National Sponge Cake Day.

It's almost the end of summer. Sad face. So, let's make sure we go out on top, shall we? Somewhere between a sponge and pound cake, this confection is not too sweet because of the buttermilk, and (bonus!) it makes use of all those over-ripe late summer berries. Sure, this amount of butter is not typical for a sponge cake, but it helps create a more tender crumb. Soggy cake, this is not. I used stabilized whipped cream in this recipe so that the cake could stand tall. The hardest part? Cutting into it.

Buttermilk and Butter Sponge Cake:
2 cups of flour
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
2/3 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
4 extra-large eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
2/3 cup of buttermilk

Stabilized Whipped Cream:
2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp and 2 tsp of cold water
2 tsp (or one package) of unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Macerated Strawberries:
3 cups of strawberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 lemon (or up to a whole lemon)

1. Start with the cake. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl (it is very important to sift the dry ingredients so that you get a light and airy cake). In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy and the sugar granules are dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time and beat each until combined. Then add the vanilla and combine. Add some of the flour and beat and then alternate adding some of the buttermilk, continue to add these ingredients alternating until all the flour and buttermilk have been used, ending your additions with flour. Grease and place parchment paper in the bottom of four or five 6-inch cake pans (you may also use traditional 8-inch cake pans if you do not have 6-inch ones, and then you can use three or four pans). Place 1 cup of batter in each pan and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the cake is firm. Once the cakes are done, remove them from their pans and let them cool on a cooling rack.

2. Once cakes are cooled macerate the berries. Cut the green tops off the berries and then cut the berries vertically into three or four slices. Add all the berries into a bowl and add the sugar and lemon juice to taste. Let the berries sit while you make the whipped cream.

3. Place the unflavored gelatin in a cup with the cold water, combine, and then let sit for about one minute until the gelatin solidifies. Place the set gelatin and water in a small saucepan and heat until the gelatin granules melt. Remove the gelatin from the heat and let sit to cool but not so long that it sets into Jell-O. Place the heavy whipping cream and the brown sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Then with the mixer still beating, slowly drizzle in the gelatin and continue to beat until all the gelatin is added and then continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

4. Time to assemble the cake. This is where you can get creative and you can layer it however you want, but I covered the inside of a 6-inch ring mold with parchment paper to make layering such a tall cake easy. I then placed the ring mold on a cake stand and dropped a cake inside. I then placed a layer of berries on the cake, then I made a thin layer of whipped cream, then another layer of berries, and then another cake on top. I repeated this until I had all my cakes layered (I reserved one of my cakes for cake c

If you love street food but can’t make it to KERB or Borough Market on your lunch break, Street Feast is your friend. A perfect embodiment of East London vibes, and right next to our new OC Shoreditch location, the semi-indoor food market opens on Friday and Saturday evenings in Dalston, running through to the end of the summer. Go before it's too late, because this year, it's bigger, badder, and better than ever before—and not just because it’s competing with two new sister locations across the city: Model Market in Lewisham and The Power of Summer at Battersea Power Station.

If you can get there before 7 PM, it’s free (that’s right, we said free!). Thereafter it’s £3 and open until midnight. With plenty of stalls offering a plethora of boozy thirst-quenchers, you can be sure to make a night of it. Just make sure you leave room for the good stuff. Fill up on pizza, lobster, jerk chicken, gelato—along with a handful of other fresh options—to your stomach's content.

Go with friends, order lots, leave happy. But before you do, check out our favorite Street Feast stalls below.

Bleecker Street Burger
First, there's the sweet, delicious sweet-potato fries that you can't get enough of. Next let us mention the Angry Fries, skin-on fries loaded with blue cheese and extra chilli sauce. And finally, let us introduce you to the main course: New York-style, double-cheese burgers made with aged (and extra tasty) meat, a hearty smothering of American cheese, and a squirt of secret sauce, stuck between a soft, toasted bun. Expect a line.
Gonna cost you: Angry fries for £3.50 and double cheeseburgers for £8

Kimchinary
Korean. Burritos. We needn’t say more but we will. Two brilliant ideas combust to make one extra tasty dining item. Kimchinary packs a giant tortilla (or tacos) with kimchi rice, gochujang sauce, cheddar cheese, pickled coleslaw, spring onion sour cream, and your choice of slow-braised bulgogi ox cheek, confit Blythburgh pork belly, or grilled aubergine and winter greens. Doesn't that all sound delicious?
Gonna cost you: £6

Pizza Pilgrims
Like pizza, love Pizza Pilgrims. Easily one of London’s most loved pizza joints, Soho’s favorite moves east to deliver giant cheesy pies to Dalston’s hungry locals. Whether you go for the classic margherita, the pepperoni, or the Neapolitan, it will be delicious and you will find it difficult not to polish off the whole thing. Yes, that's a challenge.
Gonna cost you: £5 per pizza

Rola Wala
The proud owner of the longest queue at Street Feast (that has to mean something right?) defines itself as "twisted Indian street food." It dishes up mini naans loaded with the likes of 48-hour marinated coriander chicken tikka, goan pulled pork, beetroot, and coconut and paneer dahl, each topped with a salad garnish and zingy chutney.
Gonna cost you: Score a trio for £9.

French and Grace
This Middle-Eastern inspired, Brixton-based trader serves up hearty wraps bursting with wholesome goodness. The halloumi wrap is particularly delicious. Tender, griddled pieces of salty halloumi are packed in a flour tortilla wrap with herby b

Why is sincerity and authenticity such a big deal online? “People should be sincere but not that serious,” Brittney Scott responded, hunkered behind her phone in the windowsill at her first art show. The exhibit, appropriately titled My 1st IRL Art Show, is now up at BOLD LA, and stays on point with her straightforward but unassuming spirit. Brittney’s drawings, ripped from the pages of Tumblr and splayed on the walls of the gallery space, are all done quite plainly on an iPhone app called “Paint.” What started as doodles of friends such as Jerome LOL, Kreayshawn, and Diplo has evolved into a following of thousands. She doesn’t take it too seriously, though, and makes it clear that we shouldn’t either––doing so would just ruin the fun.

Brittney, who originally hails from Texas but has called Los Angeles home for the past three years, can be found online as B6. Sample tweet: “how do i have a gallery space but no apartment….” Brittney will be hanging at BOLD next Thursday night to whip up visitors’ portraits on her phone, but we snuck in yesterday to get one first. We chatted both IRL and via text about her art and the strange permanence of maintaining an online presence, but the most fun was had when we got down to the day-to-day of using the Internet: emoji vs. emoticons, notifications on vs. off, and what app she checks first thing everyday. Check out the interview to the left.

Through August 29, 2014

BOLD LA
958 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
MAP

OC's Noah Adler and artist Brittney Scott texting at BOLD LA, where her gallery show, My 1st IRL Art Show, is now up. Photos by Stryder Bartow

Ed note: read the article Noah recommends about emojis here!

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.

VIRGO
(August 23 - September 22)

The new moon in Virgo is a refreshing beginning to your birthday month. Release all the experiences of the past year and get ready for cosmic rejuvenation.

LIBRA
(September 23 - October 22)

The new moon in Virgo is the perfect time to get things organized at home so you don't drive yourself totally insane with clutter and chaos!

SCORPIO
(October 23 - November 22)

The new moon in Virgo makes space for the new group of friends that you are growing closer to.

SAGITTARIUS
(November 23 - December 21)

The new moon in Virgo provides a new career opportunity. Say yes to all the offers you get.

CAPRICORN
(December 22 - January 19)

The new moon in Virgo today will change your mind about a spiritual subject you've been pondering.

AQUARIUS
(January 20 - February 19)

The new moon in Virgo would be the best day to work on financial paperwork or negotiate a deal that could result in funding for a future project.

PISCES
(February 20 - March 20)

The new moon in Virgo tonight renews the romantic spark in steady relationships.

ARIES
(March 21 - April 20)

Make commitments to health and wellness on the new moon in Virgo. Feel good about your selfie!

TAURUS
(April 21 - May 20)

New romance that begins around this date will be seriously inspiring. The people you meet around the new moon in Virgo tonight will be a positive addition to your personal universe.

GEMINI
(May 21 - June 20)

Spend the new moon in Virgo at home with those closest to you. Make commitments to stay in better touch with family and old friends.

CANCER
(June 21 - July 22)

The new moon in Virgo helps clear your mind and begins a new phase of positive thinking. Communication from a co-worker could lead to positive plans.

LEO
(July 23 - August 22)

The new moon in Virgo tonight would be a positive time to solve outstanding financial conundrums and get rid of toxic debt for good. You have the power to tackle anything while Jupiter has your back.

If Afropunk Festival were a washed-up celebrity, the extravaganza would most likely be the music festival counterpart to the legendary Gary Busey: an unpredictable feat that gets better (and crazier) each year. This year, when guests weren't busy freaking out over the D'Angelo performance and footwork moments at the DJ Rashad tribute, a select group of up-and-coming musicians were given the chance to take the stage and show their musical skills to the Brooklyn crowd.

We caught up with Afropunk first-timers Denitia and Sene, the Brooklyn-based duo with buttery-smooth vocals and genre-bending production skills and jumpy beats, to get their story: boy meets girl, girl rejects boy, boy and girl make awesome music together anyway. Check out our interview below.

CHLOE DEWBERRY: Can you guys describe your sound for those listeners who aren't familiar?

DENITIA ODIGIE: It's like electro-pop, but I mean it spans a lot of different genres.
BRIAN "SENE" MARC: We try to keep it sexy at the same time. It's sexy-electronic I'd say.
DO: It’s Selectro. I don't—I just came up with that. Let's trademark that.

Where do you guys take your main influence from when it comes to creating music?
BM: Denitia sings most of the lead vocals, so I can't tell you where to pull that inspiration from. That's all her years of life coming out there when she sings. I would hate to try to pinpoint something that just comes. It's everything that raised her and everything that raised me. When we get in a room together, that's just how it goes.

How did you guys come together and start making music?
DO: We met in Flatbush, Brooklyn at a collective called The Clubhouse. Sene approached me, well, he hit on me and wanted to date me, and I said, "I'm not available," and so he said, "I like your music anyway." And I said, "Let's make a group and take it to the top."
BM: That's how it went down. It was basically, "You can't hit this, but we can make hits."

If there was one emoji that describes your sound and dynamic, it would be...
BM: The first one would be the side-eye emoji.
DO: I like the one with the shades on.
BM: And then the surprised guy! Because one of us will always say something that will really catch the other one off guard and laughter ensues.

How do you guys prep before you go onstage for a performance?
BM: We have a drink and we talk to each other. We don't box out, that's for sure. I feel that the closer we get, the closer we get, you know? That goes from talking to everybody, to the three of us. There's three of us usually rocking; Denitia, myself, and Nolan (band member). So we kind of box in and take a shot. Our friendship, even if it's a joke, it's the three of us and then we step on. We don't go off and distance ourselves. We always magnetize and then we move onto the stage.

Do you coordinate your outfits when you go on stage to perform?
Both: Never.
BM: We always trust each other. If someone asks an opinion, that's separate. We always tell each other, "You're not going to wear that, right?" Sometimes we just like the same things when it

If LILIA KISSELENKO's Russia-by-night vibe is any indication of the city's style at large, consider us New Yorkers ready for a séjour in Saint Pete. Brand new to OC, the designer's latest collection is full of chic, moody pieces made for midnight strolls in the Summer Garden and afterhours snacks of vodka and caviar. Luxe fabrics are a focus, with floor-length velvet dressES, sheer, embellished skirts in black lace, boxy cashmere pants, and silk kimonos.

Since 1991, Kisselenko has gained a following in her native Russia as a haute-couture designer, showing at Fashion Week in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg and amassing a fanbase for her cocoon-like shapes and fitted outerwear. It's no wonder Kisselenko mixes silk, velvet, and cashmere all seamlessly––her experience lies in textiles, having designed for major Saint Petersburg textile company Nevskaya Manufactura and Danish company Saga Furs all throughout the '90s. Kisselenko has also tried her hand at knits and jewelry, linking with companies as far away as Japan.

Kisselenko's inky, romantic aesthetic rules, no matter the season. It's that, combined with couture-like details––elegant beading, embroidery, draped leather, sheer fabrics––that makes us want to go to the dark side.

Shop all Lilia Kisselenko HERE

Printed Kimono Dress in blue/white

Flowy Sleeve Long Velvet Dress in black

Thick Strap Sleeveless Dress in black

Sheer Embellished Skirt in black

Front Pocket Wide Flowy Pants in black

Front Pocket Pants in black/grey

Call it what you want: whether you're a Canadian tuxedo kind of guy or a female who falls for the fellas in a Texan tuxedo, denim-on-denim is in the air. Last night at the VMAs, Katy Perry and rapper Riff Raff stepped onto the red carpet in coordinating head-to-toe denim looks. They were, of course, referencing one of the most iconic (and debated) moments of the early 2000s-fashion, Britney and Justin’s 2001 matching patchwork denim outfits.

While that iconic Britney and Justin pic has been reblogged more times than you've probably washed your jeans your whole lifetime, little is known about the mastermind that created Britney's denim gown... until now. After a little Googling, we found the designer, GIOVANNI FAJARDO, who created the piece back in 2001, and asked him to share his thoughts on the denim (on denim on denim on denim...) trend, then and now.

"The idea was to make something really cool with denim in a deconstructive way," said Giovanni, who as head designer for the label Bodyworship created the dress with Britney's then-stylists KURT & BART. (The team did other crucial Britney denim moments of the early 2000s, including THIS low-rise-short-slash-stilletto-boot). "I was given ten pairs of Levis jeans. It was my job to put together and drape the piece and we turned it into one amazing gown."

"We used to dress her for every video and every red carpet in something really cool," Giovanni said. "She loved the denim."

Of course, others didn't love it quite as much, and the Britney-JT photo has had its moment on more than one worst dressed list. Yet in recent years, the look has made a comeback, albeit with fewer patchworks. At OC, brands like Marques'Almeida––whose inaugural 2011 collection shook fashion world perceptions of denim––69, and Faustine Steinmetz are putting experimental spins on the fabric, with innovative washes and weaves. Even Katy Perry and Riff Raff's ensembles, created by Versace Couture, are cheeky nods to the brand's blinged-out past. And no mention of current denim would be complete without Jeremy Scott's playful pieces for Moschino, like a STRAPLESS DRESS whose bust features a belt and fly. Britney would certainley approve.

"Denim is the most comfortable fabric out there I believe. It's wearable and people can wear it anywhere," said Giovanni. "I think denim is a little quiet right now to be honest; it’s too repetetive."

Of course, the original Canadian Tuxedo predates both Marques'Almeida and Britney Spears. Levi's created the first one for Bing Crosby in 1951, though credit for popularizing the term is mostly awarded to Super Troopers. "How's it going Denim Dan?" a State Trooper comm

"We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings the way that boys are," echoed the voice-over at Beyoncé's VMA performance Sunday night. It's no surprise that the message, sampled from Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is shared by Becca McCharen, the Brooklyn-based designer behind Chromat. Becca created the arm cages, bustiers, and custom face masks sported by the singer's back-up dancers during her rendition of "Haunted"––a band of writhing black widows whose bondage-inspired costumes somehow made their dance moves seem even more effortless (or should we say #flawless?).

"That's our whole M.O., to give power to our wearers and to create armor they can wear into the world," Becca said by phone yesterday from her Spring/Summer 2015 lookbook shoot. Becca, who founded Chromat in 2010 while she was studying architecture at the University of Virginia, has worked with Beyoncé on stage outfits ever since the singer's 2013 Superbowl performance, also decking out the star and her dancers for the On the Run tour. This time, Becca had only four hours to get the VMA outfits ready. "We got the call at 5 PM this Friday afternoon," she said. "We had four hours to make the masks before we overnighting them to LA."

In 2014, can corsets, cages, and other garments that once restricted the movement of women's bodies and their sexuality be empowering? Well, duh. "I'm all about women choosing what they want to wear and it not being dictated [to them] by fashion or trends," Becca told us when we checked out her studio earlier this year. "If you want to wear a corset, then you should, but obviously you don't want society telling you to wear a corset or crazy bras."

Of course, in a time when people are still questioning whether sexiness and feminism conflict––see Fox News' odd interpretation of Bey's performance––this message doesn't always get through. But, if you can't splay the word "FEMINISM" on a giant LED screen for millions of national television viewers to see, a badass cage bustier and a bossy attitude might do the trick.

Any plans to make harnesses that might fit baby Blue Ivy, who also made an appearance at the VMAs? "We've actually done baby Chromat!" McCharen told us. "We've made little baby harnesses for the staff." Check out her designs to the left, and watch this space for coverage of her Spring/Summer 2015 collection, debuting next month at NYFW.

Shop all Chromat HERE

Becca McCharen of Chromat's sketch for Beyoncé's VMA performance. Photo courtesy of Chromat

Beyoncé performs at the MTV VMAs. Check out the Chromat outfits at 3:00

If Matisse and Picasso were alive and well, they would probably have high praise for Jacquemus' latest collection. Matisse, for the vibrant hues and perfectly sculpted cut-outs as featured on LE MANTEAU COURT SOLEIL and LA MAILLE TRANSPARENTE. Picasso, for some of the same reasons but also for the designer's uncanny reference to l'oreille (that's French for the ear) as seen in the form of a pocket on the dresses, skirts, tees, and coats.

Despite the instant allusion to high art, we can see why the latest collection is titled, "La Femme Enfant" (the woman child). It recalls the kind of childhood Crayola drawings worthy of hanging on your refrigerator––but in the form of chic, neoprene separates in primary colors. Stark-electric blues pop against translucent fabrics, while slouchy dresses get structured with the help of quirky cut-outs. Silhouettes are boyish but retain a sense of effortless and femininity via edgy slits and dangerously sheer fabrics. And the oreille motif has us seriously rethinking every boring pocket we ever had.

Jacquemus has a reputation for bringing out the cool French girl in all of us, and this season he delivered. Whether riding our bikes on the Left Bank in Paris, or walking to our local coffee shop in the Lower East Side, these pieces were made for showing off.

Shop all Jacquemus here