You don’t have to fall too far down an Internet rabbit hole to know that fashion people knew how to have a good time back in the ’70s. Kenzo Takada famously staged a show at Studio 54 back in 1977, and the YouTube videos from the event feature models dancing down the runway with cigarettes dangling from their lips and balloons bouncing at their feet—not to mention a performance by the legendary Grace Jones. Designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have had that exuberant vision in their mind’s eye for a while now: Their Resort collection was a nod to their own ’90s club kid days, and this season they cycled back four decades to the epic night in the house’s early history.
Lim and Leon called upon the archives of artist Antonio Lopez, who ran in the same circles as Takada back in those days, and had similar creative instincts. His famed Polaroids feature many of the glamorous models on the scene at the time—Jerry Hall, Pat Cleveland—women who were both cast in that very show. Lopez’s images appeared in the collection today, sometimes printed on athletic trapeze-style crop tops for day, or on gigantic black and white paillettes. As the founders of Opening Ceremony, Lim and Leon understand both the retail and design sides of the business; they’ve always had their ear to the ground when it comes to trends on the street, and the elevated workwear and sportswear looks in the lineup were strong right out of the gate. There were slouchy camouflage pants, oversize barn jackets, and raw denim jackets that had a certain cool polish that was amplified by the metallic spiral-heeled shoes, an off-kilter twist on the classic disco sandal. The nylon tracksuits in fire-engine red and black had a flashy ’80s vibe that felt right for now as well; ditto the kinky peg-leg vinyl pants.
The show closed with a series of sequin minidresses, though ultimately it was the longer, ankle-grazing looks that hit the right note for after-dark, including a lamé top and skirt that was embellished with sequins at the shoulder and graffitied with a blue and pink pattern. All in all, the collection gave cool, city-dwelling women several compelling reasons to party on to the shop floor come February.
