I can’t forget the hysteria, my own included, that surrounded Chloë Sevigny’s first collaboration with Opening Ceremony in 2009, and the artful way in which I attempted to model the tote with her name on it through the streets of New York. It’s been a few years since her last fashion effort with the brand, but the actor and designer has teamed up with Opening Ceremony once again this time for a denim capsule collection that launches today. It’s based on Chloe’s nostalgia for her favorite vintage jeans and inspired by Japanese street style as depicted in the iconic magazine FRUiTS. “Each time I have worked on a collection, it is always pieces that I want to wear personally and I want to see my friends in,” said Chloë. “Also, the desire to create pieces that can work on all shapes and sizes. This collaboration is a result of that.”
The collection is full of the vintage-inspired shapes Chloë is famous for wearing, from a jacket with leg o’ mutton sleeves, to flarekick jeans and a ruffled mini dress. It’s all been washed using an eco-conscious, oxygen-based process that eliminates chlorine, thus producing zero harmful drain water. “There is a lot more to come, but I also think that brands can do sustainable work and have best practices when choosing a factory, while not necessarily putting a label on it,” Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon told i-D. “This should be second nature to everyone.”
This isn’t the only green aspect of the collection — in conjunction with the launch, OC is partnering with Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green recycling program, which turns used denim into natural cotton fiber insulation. You’ll be able to donate your denim stores through November.
You can see the collection photographed below, inspired by FRUiTS, on the streets of Pauda, Italy. “ FRUiTS is an exhaustive source of material, celebrating young people pushing the limits for decades,” Chloë told i-D, and we would say the same of her. Here, Chloe and Humberto tell us about their long running collaboration, the joys of denim, and schoolgirl chic.
The Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Fall/Winter 2019 collection will launches today
openingceremony.com and Opening Ceremony stores in New York and Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
Chloë
What’s changed in terms of what you want to design since the last time you worked with Carol and Humberto?
Their knowledge of sustainable factories and factory practices is very much at the forefront of how they move forward in their design process. Hopefully all of the fashion world will follow suit.
Let’s talk about FRUiTS — what do you love about the publication? How has it inspired you?
People watching has always been my main source of style inspiration. FRUiTS is an exhaustive source of material, celebrating young people pushing the limits for decades.
What inspired the silhouettes of the jackets?
We wanted the looks to be able to be worn as suits. I also wanted to provide a more “girly” cut with the puffy sleeves, and a more androgynous look with a boxy cropped cut.
Has school girl-chic always been an inspiration to you?
School girl-chic is a classic look that never falters. It’s flattering and simple.
What made you want to focus on denim?
The mini collection is an homage to the great history of Japanese denim, to fantasy and playfulness.
What cut of jeans is in? What’s out? We must know!
I’ve never subscribed to “out” or “in”, people should wear whatever they feel empowered by. Nothing is as attractive as confidence.
Humberto
Why did you think it was time to collaborate with Chloë again?
Chloë is my all-time favorite collaborator because no one has more original style than her. A lot of these projects we have worked on together just start from organic conversations and talking about what we love.
Why did denim feel like the right direction to go in?
Whenever we hang out Chloë is always wearing denim, so it was a natural direction for us. Chloë really wanted to explore denim as a fabrication and to see how we could produce it sustainably. We started with Japanese denim because there is such a strong history around denim manufacturing and looms in Japan. We found an incredible manufacturer who could do an almost no-water ozone wash of denim.
You’ve got a storied relationship — what’s it like for you and Carol working with Chloë?
Every time we collaborate it really just starts with us as friends talking about things we like. It’s always exciting to see these conversations come to live with items people around the world can buy.
What’s the starting point for a Chloë collaboration — does she come in with inspirations?
Chloë comes in with drawings and ideas of what she wants and then we go back and forth on how to make her ideas come to life. She was very specific about the denim washes she wanted and was involved in everything from the stitching details to the types of collars.
FRUiTS encapsulated a kind of individualism in fashion — is this something you still see?When I worked with FRUiTS a couple years ago to tell the story of street style, Shoichi Aoki loved staying in different areas and capturing how people put outfits together. It’s very similar to how Chloë and I grew up, when all these kids found clothing in thrift stores or on the street and put together incredible outfits. Chloë and I share a love for what street style meant to us back in the day. It’s changed a lot today, and Shoichi and I talked a lot about that when we worked together.
Is this collection a hint that OC will be incorporating more sustainable practices into its work?
There is a lot more to come, but I also think that brands can do sustainable work and have best practices when choosing a factory, while not necessarily putting a label on it. This should be second nature to everyone. For example, we do produce all of our jersey in Portugal and the government enforces a water recycling program with those factories. It’s a good start, but we just don’t feel the need to talk about it, because by default we should be thinking this way.
