HOT TOPIC: On Friday morning, Opening Ceremony founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon hosted an informal breakfast, inviting a small group of editors, show producers and retail execs — including Alan Tisch, founder and chief executive officer of Spring, and Linda Fargo, senior vice president, fashion and store presentation director at Bergdorf Goodman — to their Little Italy showroom. During the hour-and-a-half long event, Lim and Leon unveiled their own plans of evolution amidst a broader discussion of the ever-changing fashion calendar and retail climate. As owners of multilabel international retail stores and designers of ready-to-wear and accessories collections, their dual roles put them in a unique position within the industry.
At one point, conversation shifted to retail delivery schedules — and how absurd it can seem, from a consumer standpoint, for stores to stock summer clothes when the weather outside feels firmly wintery.
“Truly, as a human being, what do you want in January?” Leon said, referring to the duo’s approach to Opening Ceremony’s flagship stores. “Summer doesn’t hit until June. It’s about thinking as a shopper and thinking about the product that delivers in the right season….[At Opening Ceremony], we got rid of the pre- and resort speak. We’re looking at just spring, summer, fall and holiday, which is truly what those deliveries really are.”
Throughout, questions were raised regarding the relevancy and timing of press previews and fashion shows, but the consensus seemed to be that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for designers. At Opening Ceremony, Leon and Lim are known for putting on larger-than-life fashion shows, which in recent seasons boasted elaborate set designs and elements of performance, and the duo shows no signs of stopping them. Leon said their seasonal runway show is meant to be a celebration of the collection. “There is not one recipe for everybody,” he said.