Opening Ceremony RSS

Attention, OCLA shoppers! Your BFF Barbie here.

This month, Moschino joins Acne, Alexander Wang, and Band of Outsiders as the newest shop-in-shop to take up residency in Opening Ceremony Los Angeles' "mini-mall." You have to climb a flight of stairs to get there, but that's OK, right girls?! Fitness first.

As you probably know, the store was designed to echo Carol Lim and Humberto Leon's Southern California (shopping mall) roots, and this Moschino collection, designed by our bestie Jeremy Scott is a totally rad fit. The shop-in-shop gives a Beverly Hills circa "Pretty Woman" vibe with sharp, pretty fixtures that make sure all eyes are on the luxurious lap of luxury, aka Moschino (and you). Don't worry, you won't get dissed à la Julia Roberts for admiring these racks. But we can't guarantee that you're safe from a brawl when you reach for that Soda Can Dress or those yummy Quilted Mini Purses....

Totally Moschino? What can we say? Shirt Happens.

Shop all Moschino here

OCLA opens up a special shop-in-shop dedicated to Moschino. Photos by Casey Rea

The thirst! The thirst is real.

We spy our favorite candy-pink backpack in the mix...

We'll have one of each, please and thank you. Love that

This summer, OC got you Tipsy and Tan. Now, we're just getting tipsy. Meet Fridays at Five, our cocktail series where mixologists at New York City’s white-hot new restaurants create OC-exclusive drinks for our readers. Drinking on the job? Don't mind if we do...

If big hair and old-school rock is your thing, Pinks is right up your alley. Known for live music, comfort food bar snacks, and its rockabilly vibe (a ’58 Thunderbird grille hangs above the bar), this East Village joint might just be our favorite new dive bar. It is, after all, named after the tradition of racing for pinks.

Naturally, the drinks are hardly standard fare. A solid beer list is rounded off with some pretty stellar cocktails, and the folks certainly know how to keep their customers well-tippled. Take the Whose Cider You On?, created just for OC. Spiced cider, bourbon, and a touch of bitters? Two of these might just be enough to fortify you for the blustery winter cold.

Names: Avi Burn and Brent Van Dyke

If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin

Drink of choice?
Avi: Straight whiskey.
Brent: Rye on the rocks.

Hangover cure?
Avi: I’m gonna go old school here. A Bloody Mary mixed with a raw egg.
Brent: Sleep and a cheeseburger.

Best date advice?
Brent: Don’t drink red wine. And keep your cell phone in your pocket.
Avi: Go somewhere where you know the bartender. And make her friends laugh.

Worst pick-up?
Brent: The worst thing is to pop up and say, “Hey can I buy you a drink?”
Avi: It’s a crutch, and as much as we like people to come up and buy drinks, I think you’re trading in a first drink for a whole tab of drinks in the future.
Brent: Right, for a conversation and maybe a good night kiss. First come up with a conversation starter or find some common ground.

What should you not do to your bartender?
Avi: Don’t start a fight.
Brent: Learn to order your drinks all at once.
Avi: Bartenders have some pretty bad scenarios. Someone throwing a drink in your face, stealing tips off the bar. I’ve seen that happen.

Exclusive Recipe: Whose Cider You On?
OC Alcohol Scale*: 7
“It leaves you more warm and fuzzy than drunk.”

1.5 oz Devil’s Cut bourbon
3 oz fresh apple cider, mulled with cinnamon and cloves
2 dashes black walnut bitters

Heat up cider, top with bourbon and bitters, garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange peel.

*OC's Alcohol Scale ranges from 1 ("like sippin' from a juice box") to 10 ("take me home—right now")

Whose Cider You On? Photos by Jessica Chou

You'll need Devil's Cut bourbon, fresh apple cider, and black walnut bitters.

Heat up the cider and top with bourbon and bitters.

Garnish the drink with a cinnamon stick and

We've always had a thing for socks. The sheer, violet bandana ones from Tabio and the no-brainer 4-pack from Happy Socks are some favorites, and new to the rotation: Pum Pum Socks, a flossy, candy-colored collection co-founded by SUITCASE's fashion editor-at-large, Savannah Baker, and informed by her London-meets-Toyko-meets Jamaica sensibilities. No wonder it's caught on with pop music gals like Lana Del Rey and Rita Ora (the latter of whom sports a pale-pink pair with white frill in a recent Superga ad).

"Pum Pum socks are for the women like Spice and Lady Saw who are representing the gyals," said Savannah in a recent interview with SUITCASE. "...we are transforming the word pum pum, and turning its derogatory meaning into something powerful." (Pum pum, for curious minds, means lady bits in patois.)

We're partial to the Rastafari combo, "The Lioness" with green satin ribbon and white lace, and—our go-to—an all-black pair with a flash of navy ribbon. Everyone knows about the socks-and-sandals combo, but socks and heels? That's a total fashion girl moment.

Shop all Pum Pum here. P.S. Need a new pair of kicks to go match? Shop all women's footwear here!

Lioness Socks in black multi

Candy Ragga Socks in pink

If you've ever tried to get a decent wonton in Washington, D.C., you know to try your luck outside of Chinatown.

Insiders know that Rockville, Maryland does the best Chinese; Annandale, Virginia is your go-to for Korean. And Eden Center, which may not sound familiar to you yet, is the largest Vietnamese commercial center and Asian-themed mall on the East Coast.

Located in Falls Church, VA (about eight miles outside the District), Eden is an all day, err day Vietnamese wonderland condensed into a strip mall. The main draw here is definitely the food. You have your pick of Vietnamese bakeries hawking springy bánh bò (rice-flour sponge cakes) and super strong coffee, and then there's the abundance of eateries for phở, bánh mì, and a slew of other tasty dishes (including a kickass vegetarian place dedicated to tofu, Thanh Son).

Come for the chowdown, stay for Eden Center's bazaar-like set-up. Think of it as several mini-malls tucked within the larger strip mall, so what you can see from the parking lot (all those great shops and restaurants on the exterior) barely skims the surface. To reach the interior mom-and-pops, you have to walk through the exterior stores—think international beauty products, jewelry, Vietnamese-centric grocery items, and small drug stores stocked with funky herbs and medicinal potions, like Po Sum On, a muscle relaxing oil.

OK, now here's the real clincher: If you're into karaoke, nightlife is no joke at Eden. We like Cafe Nho, which doubles as a café-slash-karaoke bar. So hypothetically, you can have your durian smoothie and your slow jam, too.

Eden Center
6751 Wilson Boulevard
Falls Church, VA 22044
MAP

Flashing lights, lights... Photos by Alison Baitz

The newly opened grocery store—Good Fortune—is like your Whole Foods (but better?).

Eden Center is the largest Vietnamese commercial center and Asian-themed mall on the East Coast. Here, a pretty picture of eggs.

There are also tons of medicinal product options available here, like Po Sum On, a muscle relaxing oil.

The trinket shops are great and stocked for Vietnamese New Year (February 19).

SpongeBob hangs out in a claw arcade game, inside a café.

Each restaurant and café within Eden Center has its own unique vibe, ranging from straightforward and no-frills to swanky.

Christopher Kane has a knack for turning the domestic into the psychedelic. Who could forget his Spring 2011 RTW collection where prim silhouettes were transformed into fluorescent lace frocks? Or Fall 2011 RTW, when Kane made granny squares somber, even badass via leather crochets?

Now, for Resort 2015, Kane is playin' with neon and lace, an innovative hybrid of being dainty and bold with just enough peekaboo sheer. The centerpiece of the collection would be a floral bouquet in the style of psychedlia, or maybe the variety you might find at granny's house: think a black mini with a floral, doily-style trim. Hot-pink tulle seems reappropriated from that prom dress in the attic, worked into the fabric on oversized pocket tees. A-line pleated skirts, like this one in a Starburst orange, would be perfect for both that Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea party or your next gay erotica manga reading. Just add a pair of Pum Pums, and you're set.

Shop all Christopher Kane here

Contrast Tulle Top in black/neon pink and Pleated Tulle Lace Hem Skirt in neon orange

Floral Hem Skirt in black

Lace Trim Skirt in neon pink/black

Cut-Away V-Nec

Chances are, if you're at work today, it might be on the slow(ish) side with many observing the MLK holiday. Good thing Google rolled out some of the cutest easter eggs-slash-inside jokes to keep things amusing on Google Hangout.

Full disclosure: To say that OC staffers are fond of chatting via pop-up boxes would be a vast understatement. "Just GChat me!" we'll shout to one another, and sometimes, admist the furious typing of keys, you'll hear someone outwardly gagging over a joke. Over GChat, of course.

So when we caught wind that Google hid some adorable easter eggs (think LOL goobers and a string of ponies) in OC’s communication method of choice, we geeked out ~~a little~~ a lot. "It was meant to amuse each other internally," said Hangouts Lead User Experience Designer Sanjay Mavinkurve, in a recent interview with The Atlantic. "But we loved it so much, we rolled it out publicly."

Thank you, Google. And if you’re reading this, we’re down for a Hangout easter egg collab. Call us, bbs. xoxo

Check out the slideshow above to learn how to up your chat game. TIP: These only work in the newest version of Google Hangout.

Are you about it? Shop the OC Tech Shop here

What to type: /ponies What happens: A tiny pony runs across your screen. The ponies look awfully familiar, as well. An easter egg inside an easter egg?

What to type: /ponystream What happens: Same thing as /ponies, but with at least 20% more ponies.

What to type: /pitchforks What happens: An angry mob storms your chat window because you were supposed to get that report in an hour ago and let that temptress Gawker suck you in.

What to type: woot What happens: A little yellow guy looks very excited. Who is he? Where did he come from? Why is he so happy? Google's mysterious like that.

What to type: hahahaha What happens: Either some animals in clown outfits come to have a conversation without acknowledging you (rude) or your new yellow friend show up looking slightly less happy than "woot" but still thrilled nonetheless. TIP: This is an expert level easter egg because if you get the number of "ha"s wrong, nothing happens.

What to type: Happy Birthday What happens: You get delivered a beauti

In "The Look," OC friends drop by to try on our favorite new arrivals and tell us about their wardrobe preferences and current projects. This week, Jeanine Celeste Pang interviews Alexis Wilkinson.

As the first African-American president to helm The Harvard Lampoon, the Ivy League’s 139-year-old satirical publication that has run a decent joke or two from the likes of Andy Borowitz, Colin Jost, and Conan O’Brien, 22-year-old Alexis Wilkinson has been called “living history.” Or, what she calls “old and curmudgeonly.” The Milwaukee native, who just finished her one year as editor of Lampoon (and launched this genius digital parody), takes a break to chat with Opening Ceremony about Twitter versus Instagram, collegiate style, and finding those “big girl pants.”

JEANINE CELESTE PANG: What do you find funny?
ALEXIS WILKINSON: I'm an economics major, so I see jokes with rules and structure. For instance, there's the rule of three; specific versus general (“poodle” is funnier than “dog”); and certain sounds that are funnier than others, like “K” (“kangaroo”), and “P” ("penis"). Anything unexpected is funny. Comedy is a very human coping mechanism to dealing with absurdity, and to derive some sick pleasure in something random or sad in our lives—that’s crucial.

Tell us about Harvard style.
Harvard is an interesting case. It's going to be way preppier than another school. People wear the "I just stepped off a yacht" thing with boat shoes. Everyone has Hunter boots and a North Face. Then there's the other side—if you're kind of artsy, then you might be the sort to wear Opening Ceremony. It looks purposeful. It says, "I believe in this. I will defend this!" And if you're not dressing well and it's finals, then you're in pajamas.

Pajamas = softwear. What was your last memorable purchase?
I buy so much weird stuff on eBay. I purchased a pair of Wonder Woman-looking boots for Halloween—red and mod—and now I’m thinking about just wearing them around.

What looks are you into at the moment?
I really like sweatshirts with weird things on them. I have a Peanuts sweatshirt that I really like. I have a Boondocks sweatshirt. I also have a T-shirt that says "Articulate As Fuck."

You thought being on NPR last winter was going to be "a one-off thing," but since then, you've been featured everywhere from NBC's "Today" to

I can’t go anywhere without someone mentioning meeting this really rad girl named “Artemis." Whether it's at a party, wedding, or opening, it’s always the same narrative: “She’s so fun,” they say. Followed by, “It’s the same girl, right?”

There’s only one Artemis.

One of my favorite people in the world, Ms. Baltoyanni (her IG bio one-liner: "carbs, cats and cutbacks") has grown up around art her entire life, which makes her particularly apt at her current position (let’s call her art professional at large). Born in Greece, she cut her teeth as an assistant at Elizabeth Peyton Studio, before going on to become the director at Venus Over Manhattan.

Here she is in her recent acquirement, the Opening Ceremony x Jonathan Horowitz Dots Marine Jean Jacket, and an extra-special list of her LA artists to watch, where she now resides.

Artemis' Art List:

1. Calvin Marcus
2. Catharine Ahearn
3. Marina Pinsky
4. Joel Kyack
5. Sayre Gomez
6. Shahryar Nashat

Artemis Baltoyanni wears the Opening Ceremony x Jonathan Horowitz Dots Marine Jean Jacket in white multi

In writing about Henri Matisse’s iconic cut-outs, New Jersey-born painter Philip Taaffe says that they’re “as brilliant for their economy of means as they are for their vibrancy and energy of expression.” High praise, because if Matisse were alive and painting today, his work would probably look a lot like Taaffe’s.

For over three decades, Taaffe, the OG bohemian gentleman, has explored connections between past and present cultures, creating a new frontier of of eye-popping, tapestry-like paintings. The main inspiration? Travel. We'd like to take a peek at his many passports, considering his wanderlust has taken him on frequent sojourns in the Middle East, India, and Morocco. (Fun fact: When he's in NYC, he lives at the Hotel Chelsea, furnished with a billiard room.)

Not surprising then, that in his current, self-titled show at Luhring Augustine’s gallery in Bushwick, inspiration combines street art, Indian tapestry, Asian architecture, prehistoric pictoglyphs, and hippie tie-dye—a cultural mash-up reflected on five massive, hanging canvases.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to Spiral Painting II, a work dominated by razor-sharp spirals tumbling out of a bright pastel background. Isolated, the spirals don't look out of place on Bushwick streets, but combined, they look like tribal patterns from a primordial past. On the opposite wall, Glyphic Field has a similar effect, covered with ancient pictoglyphs in vibrant, Matisse-like colors.

The Nocturne with Architectural Fragments, Imaginary Fountain, and Choir are the backbone of the show, and they form a spectacular triptych. Blending elements of Asian architecture with repeating geometric patterns, they come off as intricate and beautiful as ancient tapestries, something you might find copied at ABC Carpet & Home, if you're lucky.

With Luhring Augustine landing artists like Taaffe, it’s starting to feel like "East Williamsburg" has arrived. First the LES, now Bushwick... who's next?

Philip Taaffe's self-titled exhibit runs through April 26

Luhring Augustine
25 Knickerbocker Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237
MAP

Philip Taaffe's self-titled exhibit is a cultural mash-up reflected on five massive, hanging canvases. Photos by Farzad Owrang

Imaginary Fountain comes off as intricate and beautiful as ancient tapestry.

Choir is part of a triptych that forms the backbone of the show.

Spiral Painting II is a work dominated by razor-sharp spirals tumbling out of a bright pastel background.

Voracious Appetites Seeking Easily Categorized Clothing (“menswear”-“womenswear”-“sportswear” et al.) should shy away from Nicopanda. The cultish label's inaugural RTW collection, designed by Lady Gaga BFF and former Mugler creative director, Nicola Formichetti, is "Harajuku meets downtown New York." It's also entirely unisex—eluding sartorial strictures and embracing a type of dress the Opening Ceremony fan knows a thing or two about.

While the portmanteau Nicopanda is Formichetti's nickname (he is a self-professed "Asian bear," the panda), it also reminds us of a crossbreed between Necco Wafer and Hello Panda—hinting at the cross-cultural, myriad inspirations at play here: think Formichetti's Italian-Japanese roots, his homebases in both downtown New York and London (recall his splash as the fashion director for Dazed & Confused), and his love for international streetwear. "Low-culture luxe," as the brand dubs it.

Each piece—crafted from a palette of baby blues and pinks, icing whites, and satin and chiffon blacks—only reinforces the theory. The details are a study in contrasts, sometimes literally like in the matching Patchwork Shirt and Pant. Elsewhere, the satin bows and ruffled hems are Lolita-like (i.e. the Tie-Waist Ruffled Collar Dress and the Organza Ruffle Bomber); the black fishnet and color-blocked skinny jeans channel Punk Brittania.

"This is a collection for a try-anything culture," Nicola said in a recent press release. "You're either brave enough to wear it, or you're not."

P.S. Take a peek at the brand's Instagram and you'll see a few fun filters and sticker treatments. Nicola's must-download photo apps are Ble

The things you learn here. Today is International Sweatpants Day (yes, really) and we couldn't be more excited for the excuse to wear plush sweats to the office.

If you're anything like us, you can celebrate the "holiday" without having to worry about getting the side eye from a jealous co-worker in stiff "business casual" attire. Gone are the days when sweatpants were linked to diaper butt, Juicy Couture tracksuits, and college finals. With OC brands like XXBC and Skodia turning softwear into innovative fashion statements, they've become a closet go-to, just like your Acne Studios denim.

But keep in mind: Even with tailored joggers, it's the footwear that really seals the deal. (We once saw Mary-Kate Olsen at the West Village Citarella, wearing hole-y grey sweatpants with jeweled, five-inch Miu Miu pumps. Amazing.)

Here, we pair seven of our favorite sweatpants with our favorite shoes: think classic sneaks, sky-high (yet comfs) platforms, and eye-catching, spring colors. 'Cause if you do it right, you can celebrate Sweatpants Day 365 days a year.

Wear the XXBC OC-Exclusive Carpenter Pants in blue/yellow with the...

Vans Vault Sk8 Hi LX VLT in black

Wear the Opening Ceremony Bikini Esther Pants in black multi with the...

Opening Ceremony Grudge Wedge Sandals in black

Wear the Skodia Ormond Fleece Sweatpants in polar white with the...

adidas Originals by Pharrell Williams PW Stan Smith TNS in green

Wear the Christopher Kane

Earlier this week, Brooklyn Bowl's familiar venue space was sucked into a dimly-lit time machine, with attendees taking a musical trip back to the funk-heavy, hard-partying days of the early '80s NYC club scene. At the helm of the "good ol' days" was Wooden Wisdom, the newly-formed DJ duo consisting of indie music vet Zach Cowie (aka Turquoise Wisdom) and... Elijah Wood. Yes, you read that correctly. Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings was spinning records that recalled the days of jive talkin' and swagger walkin'.

Wooden Wisdom's strictly-vinyl sets have proven to be 2015's answer to iconic '80s discotheque Paradise Garage, and Wood and Cowie are the modern-day Larry Levan and François K duo re-paving the path. With their knack for blending undeniably funky tracks like Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You" with lesser-known covers (remember "Good Times" by Charanga '76?), the LA-based boys possess a knowledge of rare music beyond their years. In fact, stepping out of the venue after a Wooden Wisdom set feels like a confusingly, semi-disappointing rush back into the present as soon as you hear "IDFWU" blasting from the nearest car.

With his newfound talent for delivering nostalgic sets, Wood also does good on for the oft-debated, actor-cum-DJ role. As long as the records he's spinning have you dancing on your feet, follow the number one rule of any party and RESPECT THE DJ.

"At the end of the day, [people] may have come because they've seen me in a film or because there's something a bit silly about this," Woods, who has had a relatively quiet past two years on the silver screen, told Now Toronto. "But our hope is that they'll walk away having heard things they've never heard before and that they'll be excited by them and able to move beyond the novelty factor." And with that, a small five-city tour culminated yesterday at Q Nightclub in Seattle.

Looking for the road to Afrobeat nirvana? Right this way to Wood and Cowie's Excellent Adventure.

Check out a live recording of Wooden Wisdom's set at The Do-Over, below!

Wooden Wisdom's Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie. Photo by Geordie Wood

Oh baby, bay-bay! OC is stocking clothes for all the pint-sized hypebeasts out there. Now your little one can straight flex on the playground in miniature versions of some of our fave brands: Kenzo, Deer Dana, and brand-new to the fun-sized mix: Nike. We have Kanye-printed onesies, baby tees, baby sweats, and even some killer kicks for the tiny sneakerhead in your life.

And because we've caught the baby fever too, we couldn't resist making teensy versions of our ever-popular logo tees and hoodies.

Shop all baby, girls, and boys here!

We’ve got Nike Air Maxes for the lil’ ones… because odds are, a sneaker addiction doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Nike Toddler Air Max 90 Sneakers in black/dark grey

Opening Ceremony Mini Logo Hoodie in black

Deer Dana Kanye Onesie in white

Kenzo Tiger Onesie in blue

Deer Dana Larry David Kids Tee in white

Opening Ceremony

Laura Laurens returns to OC this season with a new “menshirting” collection, a series of fresh, crisp shirtdresses made from fabrics like eco-friendly cotton and poplin. In crisp whites, painterly, military greens, cotton candy pinks and blues, Laurens adapts different shirt styles to the dress—like the classic Oxford, T-shirt, and Peter Pan collar—and adds flair with layers and a voluminous, trapeze silhouettes. Et voila! An origami creation you can wear.

It's the crisp, live-in dress we imagine hosting a winter brunch in, or picnicking in Central Park, accessorized with a messy topknot, a glass of rose, and the apricot Lele bag.

Check out the designer's whimsical drawings that influenced Pre-Spring 2015 in the slideshow above, and our chat with her below.

Shop all Laura Laurens here

NOOR BRARA: Tell me a little bit about your foray into fashion from art; why did you make that transition and what initially inspired you?
LAURA LAURENS: I made the transition by accident. I used to make my own clothes, because I didn´t like what you could find in the local market. It was a kind of innocent rebellion. It all started with an idea and an impulse, just like you do in the art world. I wanted to say something through that particular gesture, even though art and fashion are quite different worlds.

Your last collection was heavily influenced by themes like culture and dance. What are you currently inspired by and how do you feel that's reflected in the clothes?
The latest collection, made with poplin and ripstop, is influenced by the men´s shirting and the uniforms of the army (that I also used in my former collection). I´m inspired in the things that can no longer be seen, because they all create a world we are used to, but a world we stop seeing because of our familiarity with them. I´m interested in that space between those lines: that chasm where you can turn, whirl. That´s why I design for women who don´t like evident things, people who take their time to find themselves through their relation with clothes.

What kinds of silhouettes do you gravitate towards? You use a lot of ruffles and layers in your pieces.
Silhouettes that play between an excess of fabric and others that frame the body. In any case, I like to use enveloping layers (layers over layers), following an almost sculptural process. I usually don´t follow patterns to create my dresses: I create the dress and then make the pattern.

Which creatives—either designers or artists, or both—are you inspired by?
Hieronymus Bosch, Kazimir Malévich, J.W. Turner, Cy Twombly, Marcel Broodthaers, Madame Grès, and Rei Kawakubo.

Laura Laurens PS1

Introducing Brooklyn-based illustrator Heather Pieske, and her fruit. It all began with a lonely banana left out of the fruit bowl and a chance meeting with a wayward black marker. We loved it, especially thinking to our smoothie and juicing-inspired Pre-Fall 2015 Collection, so we asked Heather if she would do a little doodling for us.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad to see Kenzo?

Terrible knock-knock joke aside, we're kind of thrilled with this second image in our "Fruit Art" weekly series, proudly baring the Kenzo lion insignia, which was immortalized with the Tiger Icon Sweatshirt and made anew with mesh jacquard. A little fresh-squeezed citrus-meets-Parisian flair? We're 'bout it.

Shop all Kenzo men's and women's

Shop all Kenzo men's and women's. Art by Heather Pieske

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

Who: Hayden Taatjes from OCNY women's shop
Where are you from? Petaluma, California
Tell us what you’re wearing here: Hayden wears the Acne Studios Niklas Leather Jacket in white, Dries Van Noten Haply Polo in off white, Loewe Fisherman Jeans in navy blue, Nikolai Rose Round Set Bone Ring in sterling silver/bone, and Nikolai Rose Polygon Ring in sterling silver (all items not linked available in stores and online soon).
And your personal twist: My white Chucks
If this outfit were any TV or movie character, it would be: I've always wanted to be Danny Phantom, but these '70s vibes are screaming Kelso from That '70s Show
Sum up your style in one word: Floods
Favorite fashion slang: Normcore—it cracks me up
Song or mixtape you’ve been obsessed with lately: Anything by Karen Dalton has me feeling some type of way
Last movie you watched on Netflix: I wish I had Internet to watch Netflix
iPhone or Android: Keeping it classic with the iPhone 4
Last moment that made you truly LOL: Everyday in New York City. The people here are insane.
Last good art you saw: Picasso & the Camera at the Gagosian Gallery
Favorite spot to people watch: The line at Supreme after any product drop
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: No Name Bar on Manhattan Avenue
Favorite emoji icon: I love that smiling turd
Favorite #hashtag to use: #bagelsonly

Hayden wears the Acne Studios Niklas Leather Jacket in white, Dries Van Noten Haply Polo in off white, Loewe Fisherman Jeans in navy blue,

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 former dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons who just confirmed rumours of an enviable NYFW consulting gig with IMG. Here, he answers our questions on how to behave—single and as a +1.

Q. Every year, I hear a lot of my single friends say, "[Insert Year] is THE year I'm going to find THE One." Everyone says it'll happen when you're not looking, but that's just bullshit, right?

I got news for you, sister: You’re never going to find anyone. You’re going to be alone for life with only a cat for company, then one day they’ll hear your cat crying out for a change of diet, having lived off your remains for a month.

Of course that’s not the only way it could go. But the thing is, if you’re looking for love, then you reek of desperation. Absolutely stink of it. And like cat pee, it’s detectable from 50 paces away. I mean, you might manage a quick bunk-up now and then, but real love? Probably not.

The solution, my dear readers, is to stop worrying about what you haven’t got, and concentrate on what you have.

Eat Drink Live Love with a passion like there's no tomorrow. Find something to go wild for—literature, tango, Bordeaux—and along the way, someone else will go wild with, and for, you.

Q. My date to a fancy wedding went to town on the dinner buffet, as if he had purposefully saved up for an epic binge—open bar included. Such an embarrassment, but I kept silent. Should I have said something?

Bastard. You should’ve had the bouncers rough him up a bit, then throw him out on his ear. The thing about being a +1 is that you are there to make your host look great. You are an addition—an accessory, much like a nice hat. And you don’t find hats making big with the vol-au-vents. If you’re lucky enough to be invited as a +1, then imagine you’re being taken to meet the parents of the boy/girl of your dreams. Behave accordingly. Though I have to say, I’m entirely at a loss about the open-bar question. I’m English. An open bar isn’t an invitation, it’s a challenge.

To those I’ve bumped into during a Champagne-fuelled open bar at fashion weeks around the world, I am reminded of the words of John Malkovich as Vicomte de Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons: “It’s beyond my control.”

Simon Collins

People like to say Eileen Myles is a “post-punk poet." I’m not sure what that means.

I ask her over coffee the other day; she isn’t sure either.

“An in-between artist,” she offers. "Something that changes shapes.”

What’s special about Myles is how authentic she remains while always evolving. An easy example is her presence on both Twitter and Instagram. “I can write progressive poems through the day,” she says of Twitter. As for Instagram, the caption may prove the most interesting part. “It’s like the way you end a poem—the way you cinch it—thats’s so fun and accessible to thousands of people. It’s like winking at somebody.”

I ask her if I can post a picture of the tiny, navy blue notebook she’s shown me, which is now sitting on the table next to our coffees. We’re in a cafe in the East Village, Myles' neighborhood since she came to New York in 1971.

“Yes.” I take the photo. I’m embarrassed.

I show her a tiny book of my own. It is from my collection of Hanuman Books, the series of avant-garde works printed in India by Raymond Foye and Francesco Clemente in the '80s. The one I present to Myles features a picture of her on its red cover and gold letters spelling “Bread and Water.” It’s an edition of a short story that will appear in the writer's 1994 collection, Chelsea Girls, to be rereleased this September.

She tells me about a time she went to dinner with the Hanuman crew, including the Indian publisher who had carried a shipment over in his luggage, which was cheaper than shipping from Madras. This was at an Indian joint that was not far from where we are, somewhere around 2nd Avenue and 5th Street. The East Village has, of course, changed since then.

We talk about how all of sudden in the '80s, when MTV was born, neighborhood fashion became global. “Never again could you trust someone by their style,” Myles says. And it’s true. Now, with social media, we can steal references and imitate others, which isn’t necessarily bad, merely unreliable.

I ask her about her thoughts on this weird public world we both play in. I’m thinking of a few lines from Inferno:

We’re hunched and weaving over the keys of our green our grey or pink blue manual typewriter maybe a darker stone cold thoritative selectric with its organismic expectant hum and us popping pills and laughing over what you or I just wrote, wondering if that line means insult or sex. Or both. Usually both.

She says social media didn’t make human interaction complicated. “It was always complicated.”

I ask her about a PS1 MoMA talk which she was was part of last November, entitled "

As a societal rule, nothing is better than an excuse to eat pie. Especially on a holiday.

Of course, some holidays are more legit than others, the latter being transparent excuses for everyone to stuff their faces. It's not hard to decide which of these categories National Pie Day (that would be today) fits in. To celebrate this momentous occasion in style, we reached out to Emily Elsen at Brooklyn's Four & Twenty Blackbirds to make her delicious Rosemary and Honey Shoofly Pie. Back by popular demand this winter, the pie can be found at their cozy 3rd Avenue location in Gowanus (where we proceeded to steal pie from a 9-year-old), or their brand-new, pie wonderland at 597 Sackett Street.

See the how-to below.

Rosemary Honey Shoofly Pie Filling

Makes one 9-inch pie. Serves 8 to 10.

"Shoofly pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, delicious in its own right, with its distinct gingerbread flavor. It relies on a unique process, in which baking soda is dissolved in warm water at the last minute and the whole pie is quickly assembled with simple ingredients—molasses, brown sugar, flour, and spices. We swapped honey for the molasses, blended in fresh rosemary, and used strong brewed coffee in place of the hot water. The result is a lighter, more aromatic flavor and texture." — Emily Elsen

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup honey
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup strong brewed coffee, warm

Preparation:

Have ready one pre-baked, 9” pie shell.

Step 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the sugar and rosemary leaves and process until the rosemary is chopped into fine pieces. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and butter and process to a coarse meal with some larger butter pieces remaining. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 3. In a large bowl, beat together the honey and eggs. Mix in the milk, salt, and cider vinegar. Stir the baking soda into the warm coffee, and then slowly stream into the honey mixture.

Step 4. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread slightly more than half the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the shell, gently pour the honey mixture over the top, and sprinkle on the remaining crumb mixture.

Step 5. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slig

What does a "cool dad" wear, exactly? While some misled paternal figures seem to think it looks a little something like this (hey, no judgement), Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg has the more, shall we say, Don Draper-type in mind with his latest Pre-Spring collection.

For these in-between months, Sternberg opts for an updated take on classic styles that men of all ages can wear. The LA-based label's signature oxfords get a splash of color with a Pantone-approved selection of electric blues, while the classic polo gets a switch-up with an Inside-Out Pocket. Then there's the perfect shawl knit sweater, ideal for the golf course, the weekend getaway (mushrooms, not screaming children, in tow), and that nearest loft party.

Shop all Band of Outsiders men's here