Inspired By Belgium, Opening Ceremony Pre-Fall 2014

Opening Ceremony collections are inspired by the wanderlust that keep us country-hopping. This season, we've landed in the trop chic country of Belgium, the land of innovative designers and striking ancient architecture.

 

The city of Antwerp is known for its waterways, with several canals and the river Scheldt running through it, serving as a prominent source of inspiration for the collection's hems and shapes. Undulating edges and wraparound panels are seen on minimal dresses and boxy jackets, mimicking waves. Hemlines gently slope towards the front, often cropped in the back to create a liquid look, all while maintaining the crisp cleanliness of the collection's silhouettes, with curved cutaways producing trompe-l'oeil effects.

 

Prints and patterns are abundant, inspired by the country's cityscapes to in-demand Belgian marble. (Fun fact: Wallonia-sourced marble is typically a grey or red, which became a colorful reference in the "Terazzo" print.) Inspired by the construction method of using marble chips to create a speckled wall or floor, our print was made by layering recycled paper shreds of gold, red, and grey, accented by strokes of blue, black, and white paint. A dazzling mirrorball pattern was inspired by '80s dance clubs (which Raf Simons once told Humberto about), while the map-like, "Broken Stripes" jacquard winks to Antwerp's urban topography and canals.

Of course, no ode to Belgium would be complete without a waffle reference, which appears in this collection as a subtle, delicious texture on oversized dresses and tops.

 

The overall vibe is one of unfussy dressing, keeping in mind the classic-but-progressive, effortless-but-precise fashions at hand. The color palette is diverse enough for universal appeal, with neutral, gritty tones softened by aqua and lavender, but maintains a consistency that lets you mix and match pieces. When there are so many frites to eat and museums to see, you want comfortable looks, and OC pre-Fall has just that.