a verrrrrrrry belated post on this -

I pretty much missed the whole shebang about Chloe Sevigny's collection for Opening Ceremony because I was away when it launched - not just out of the country but also away from the Internet, from reading material in languages I understood; away from fashion news, basically. I actually read about this in some old issue of Teen Vogue lying around the hairdresser's the other day, and I stunned myself by going, "oh, these are rather good." Mainly because Ms Sevigny's sartorial choices have more often made me go "holy shit, what's wrong with her" than "hey, she looks great". So it's funny that I'd like a collection that's essentially about giving Sevigny fans the chance to, you know, dress like her. So does this mean: I like the collection = She designed the collection after her own style = I like her style?

Bah, whatever. The point is, this collection has elements that appeal to me - dainty florals, slim-fitting high-waist pants, prim tailoring, soft blouses - elements I always look out for when I'm shopping for clothes. Each item on its own might look pretty ordinary, but I like ordinary. Put together as a collection, it has lots of off-kilter-cool, and I like off-kilter cool. It looks to me like something that can be styled however you want it, rather than a total look, and I like any collection that gives me the freedom to do that.

Since we are talking about celebrity lines here, it's also worth pointing out that putting on those clothes doesn't necessarily turn you into a Chloe Sevigny clone. These clothes require your own personality to make it work, and that's cool.

The flip side to this argument is that you don't necessarily need to buy from this collection to achieve the same vibe - which brings us to the next point: I'd need to see these clothes in person to see and feel the details and the fit and whether it justifies the US$150 to $595 prices. For now, let's just say that if I passed a rack of this stuff, I would stop and look and itch for a try. Just bloody wonderful that I live on the other side of the world from an Opening Ceremony boutique then.



Pictures from http://www.refinery29.com/profiles/blonde_ambition.php?topcategory=fashion and wwd.com