Opening Ceremony (brand)

Opening Ceremony is a fashion brand founded in 2002 by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. The brand designs and creates its own products and also retails other emerging fashion labels,^[1] being early retailers of Havaianas and Topshop,^[2] and also Alexander Wang, Comme Des Garcons, Proenza Schouler and Rodarte.^[2] The cofounders believed that a person willing to buy luxury goods would also be willing to buy cheap T-shirts, socks, and art pieces in the same retail space.^[2]

In January 2020, Opening Ceremony was acquired by New Guards Group, a subsidiary of Farfetch. In late 2023, Farfetch was itself acquired by the South Korean e-commerce company Coupang for $500 million.^[3][4]

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon opened Opening Ceremony in downtown New York in 2002.^[5]

The Tokyo store, located in Shibuya, was ranked by the American magazine Complex as the fourth-best store in the world in 2013. Opening Ceremony also operated a store in Los Angeles.^[6]

In 2008, Chloë Sevigny designed a clothing line with Opening Ceremony, working closely with co-founder Humberto Leon. The collection sold at Barneys nationwide.^[6] In 2009, Opening Ceremony collaborated with Spike Jonze on a collection tied to his film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, with jewelry provided by Pamela Love.^[7] In 2010, Opening Ceremony collaborated with Maison Margiela on the French fashion house's first co-branded project, followed by a womenswear line for Margiela's MM6 label in 2011.^[8] In 2017, Esprit and Opening Ceremony created a joint collection.^[9] In 2018, Opening Ceremony partnered with Crosby Studios to produce a collection of tables, chairs, and furniture in monochromatic royal purple.^[8][10] The Spring 2018 collection was presented after hours at Disneyland's Toontown to mark Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse walking the runway.^[11][12]

Opening Ceremony often replaced traditional runway presentations with performance art. For the Spring 2015 collection, American actor Jonah Hill wrote the one-act play Lost Cotton.^[13] In 2015, choreographer Justin Peck of the New York City Ballet directed the Spring 2016 show, in which models collapsed to the ground and rose again, performing in a garden setting.^[14] The collection incorporated bonsai embroidery, African textiles, and Moorish-inspired silhouettes.^[14]

For Fall 2017, Spike Jonze directed and Ryan Heffington choreographed "Changers," a dance piece about a romantic relationship, starring Lakeith Stanfield and Mia Wasikowska at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.^[15][16] That year, the brand also collaborated with the New York City Ballet on "The Times Are Racing," dressing dancers in casual attire.^[17]

The Spring 2019 show, "The Gift of Showz," was held at (Le) Poisson Rouge and featured Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, Lypsinka, West Dakota, and 40 other drag queens; Christina Aguilera opened the finale.^[18] The collection featured summer dresses and floral prints alongside all-black outfits.^[19]

In 2008, Chloë Sevigny modelled in and published a lookbook with Opening Ceremony, photographed by Mark Borthwick.^[6][20]

For their February 2019 lookbook, Leon and Lim featured Asian-American figures including musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, chef Angela Dimayuga, and designer Anna Sui.^[21]

In 2011, Lim and Leon became co-creative directors of Kenzo, owned by LVMH.^[22]

In 2019, they announced they were stepping down after reacquiring all shares of Opening Ceremony from Berkshire Partners, which had held a minority stake. Their final Kenzo show was on June 23, 2019, for the Spring 2020 collection.^[23]

On January 13, 2020, the company was acquired by New Guards Group, which owns Off-White and other streetwear brands. On January 14, Lim and Leon announced that all retail stores would close that year, citing rapid changes in consumer behaviour and shopping habits.^[24][25]

Under New Guards Group, the brand continued releasing collections. Its Fall/Winter 2022 collection was its most recent confirmed release.^[26] No new collections have been announced since.

• In 2016, Drake wore the bright orange hoodie and sweatpants from the Opening Ceremony x Esprit collection.^[27]
• Troye Sivan and Nicki Minaj, along with other LGBTQIA+ models, attended the brand's Spring 2019 drag-inspired fashion show.^[28]
• Rihanna wore Opening Ceremony on the cover of her album Talk That Talk (2011).
• Omarion wore an Opening Ceremony varsity jacket in the music video for his 2014 song "Post to Be".^[29]
• The Linda Lindas wore Opening Ceremony on the back cover of their album Growing Up (2022).

• Kenzo

• Official website