"Do not social media anything, but if you have a pager, you can turn it ON at this time," Jonah Hill instructed the first audience of 100% Lost Cotton last night at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The fashion show-play hybrid was Jonah's first theatrical production, penned alongside Spike Jonze and directed by Spike. The principals were actors—Dree Hemingway, Elle Fanning, Bobby Cannavale, John Cameron Mitchell, Rashida Jones, Catherine Keener, Alia Shawkat—and the play was not dissimilar to Jonah's comment: a satire. A backstage dramedy that takes place during New York Fashion Week—featuring characters named Carol and Humberto—this was a lighthearted, meta take on the fashion circuit: the tangential relationships, the insecurities and struggles, and, let's admit it, the deluge of explicit language.
But 100% Lost Cotton was also a fashion show, where Opening Ceremony's Spring/Summer 2015 collection took center stage. Karlie Kloss, who made her theatrical debut as herself, wore a neoprene pullover and twill mini skirt with small circular laser cut-outs. Elle, an earnest newbie model from Oklahoma, sported a swimming-pool-inspired cut-out grommet dress. Dree, who played an insecure model who dabbles in "musing" ("when really important people stare at you to get ideas") wore a powder-pink romper and an Athena bag in a mini lunch bag shape. The clothes were vibrant, in punched-up colors like tangier pink, coral, palladium green, and cerulean. And, like the production, the collection was inspired by simpler times and the pure fun of collaborating with friends. "It was supposed to be about the summer of '91 when Carol and I used to go pool hopping together in high school," Humberto, played by John, explained in a scene. "All we wanted to do was find another new pool to sneak into—that's all that mattered."
Of course, working with friends isn't all innocence and nostalgia. In 100% Lost Cotton, stylist Brian Molloy, played by Bobby, is desperately in love with Patrick, Humberto's husband. After getting in a fight about the collection in front of Vogue editor Lisa Love (played by Rashida), the confrontation gets physical as Humberto tackles Brian. Meanwhile, Carol, played by Catherine, is a ferocious, quick-tempered alpha who hardly utters a line that's not a bellow. "Yes—he's in love with Patrick, you ignore Patrick, you're both assholes, and I'm losing money!"
In the end, though, friendship triumphs over hardship. Bella and Julie, played by Dree and Elle respectively, commiserate on the anonymity of models ("you spend hours in the morning worrying about what you're gonna do and say and wear") before bonding over the silver lining. "[Fashion] is about invention and reinvention," Bella said. "Every morning you wake up and you get to decide what type of person you want to be." 100% Lost Cotton is a work of fiction, but doesn't try to resolve any of these inherent industry paradoxes. In the last scene, as the cast breaks into a song-and-dance number (set to Drake's "Hold On We're Going Home"), you got the feeling that even with its outsized egos and rampant superficiality, fashion is a worthwhile pursuit. At the very least, it's a great way to have fun with your friends.
Check out our slideshow for all the behind-the-scenes and on-stage moments from the show.
Like this story? Read more coverage of 100% Lost Cotton here.![]()
Elle Fanning, Dree
But 100% Lost Cotton was also a fashion show, where Opening Ceremony's Spring/Summer 2015 collection took center stage. Karlie Kloss, who made her theatrical debut as herself, wore a neoprene pullover and twill mini skirt with small circular laser cut-outs. Elle, an earnest newbie model from Oklahoma, sported a swimming-pool-inspired cut-out grommet dress. Dree, who played an insecure model who dabbles in "musing" ("when really important people stare at you to get ideas") wore a powder-pink romper and an Athena bag in a mini lunch bag shape. The clothes were vibrant, in punched-up colors like tangier pink, coral, palladium green, and cerulean. And, like the production, the collection was inspired by simpler times and the pure fun of collaborating with friends. "It was supposed to be about the summer of '91 when Carol and I used to go pool hopping together in high school," Humberto, played by John, explained in a scene. "All we wanted to do was find another new pool to sneak into—that's all that mattered."
Of course, working with friends isn't all innocence and nostalgia. In 100% Lost Cotton, stylist Brian Molloy, played by Bobby, is desperately in love with Patrick, Humberto's husband. After getting in a fight about the collection in front of Vogue editor Lisa Love (played by Rashida), the confrontation gets physical as Humberto tackles Brian. Meanwhile, Carol, played by Catherine, is a ferocious, quick-tempered alpha who hardly utters a line that's not a bellow. "Yes—he's in love with Patrick, you ignore Patrick, you're both assholes, and I'm losing money!"
In the end, though, friendship triumphs over hardship. Bella and Julie, played by Dree and Elle respectively, commiserate on the anonymity of models ("you spend hours in the morning worrying about what you're gonna do and say and wear") before bonding over the silver lining. "[Fashion] is about invention and reinvention," Bella said. "Every morning you wake up and you get to decide what type of person you want to be." 100% Lost Cotton is a work of fiction, but doesn't try to resolve any of these inherent industry paradoxes. In the last scene, as the cast breaks into a song-and-dance number (set to Drake's "Hold On We're Going Home"), you got the feeling that even with its outsized egos and rampant superficiality, fashion is a worthwhile pursuit. At the very least, it's a great way to have fun with your friends.
Check out our slideshow for all the behind-the-scenes and on-stage moments from the show.
Like this story? Read more coverage of 100% Lost Cotton here.
Elle Fanning, Dree