Opening Ceremony Staged the Happiest Show on Earth
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the happiest show on Earth is about to begin!” a voice booms over the loudspeaker. A few hundred people hold up their phones in preparation as the lights dim, orchestral pop plays, and a parade of models stalk out onto the streets of Mickey’s Toon Town. A fashion show in Disneyland? Fresh of Fashion Month? Yep, this is Opening Ceremony’s Spring 18 collection, inspired by Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary.
When Opening Ceremony designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon started out they were inspired by Mickey’s belief that dreams can come true, said the show notes. Apparently Leon even wore a Mickey tie and cummerbund to prom, and this collection is a nod to Mickey’s “Utopian spirit” and “1970s optimism.”
This love of Disney now manifests itself in clothes that are Mickey-printed but with a signature OC downtown twist. Oversized sweats, skinny mouse-covered track pants, baseball jackets and slim, satin motorcycle pants decorated with Disney character patches.
Giant furry jackets and matching furry black bags printed with Mickey faces, and '90s platform sneakers teamed with Minnie print dresses.
In the audience sat Laverne Cox, Chance the Rapper, Maya Rudolph (wearing her Mickey ears), Tallulah Willis, Chloe and Halle Bailey, Jamie Chung and other OC fans.
“I love that they give zero fucks and they make anything they want happen," Chung told ELLE.com. "They're like, ‘Let's do a fashion show at Disneyland!’ Done. It's unconventional and it's so unique.”
Echoed Laverne Cox, “Whenever I'm wearing Opening Ceremony it always feels cool and, I hate the word ‘edgy’, but like it feels just forward. It feels very fashion-forward, it feels very street culture, but elevated.”
As dancers and the official Disneyland marching band joined in mid-show, and the designers skipped hand-in hand with Mickey and Minnie by the end of it, it was clear that this was indeed the happiest show on Earth. A love letter to upbeat kitsch and childish good times. Fun and irreverent, yet still very fashion.
SHOP Select items from Disney x OC on shopdisney.com, openingceremony.com and in Opening Ceremony stores now. Remaining ready-to-wear looks will hit stores in November.
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