Opening Ceremony
An American fashion retailer and label founded by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, known for emerging-designer retail, experimental presentations, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Opening Ceremony was established in downtown New York in 2002 by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon as a fashion boutique with an unusually broad cultural and commercial ambition. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional luxury retailer, the store combined the founders' own collections with products from independent and international designers, accessories, art-related objects, and lower-priced basics. Their retail concept was based on the idea that a customer prepared to buy an expensive designer item might also want to purchase an inexpensive T-shirt, pair of socks, or art object in the same environment. The business became associated with discovering and introducing labels to a wider audience. Its early or notable retail selections included Havaianas, Topshop, Alexander Wang, Comme des Garçons, Proenza Schouler, and Rodarte. Opening Ceremony developed a presence beyond New York, including stores in Los Angeles and Tokyo. The Shibuya store was recognized by Complex in 2013 as one of the world's leading retail spaces, reflecting the brand's emphasis on distinctive environments and cultural programming as well as merchandise. Alongside retail, Opening Ceremony built a proprietary fashion label and a reputation for collaborations. Projects included a 2008 collection with actress Chloë Sevigny, a 2009 collaboration connected with Spike Jonze's film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, a 2010 co-branded project with Maison Margiela, a subsequent MM6 womenswear line, an Esprit collaboration in 2017, and a furniture project with Crosby Studios in 2018. The brand also used performance, theater, dance, film, drag, and music to present its collections. Its shows included Jonah Hill's one-act play Lost Cotton, a Justin Peck-directed presentation involving the New York City Ballet, Spike Jonze's dance film and stage work Changers, and the 2019 drag-centered presentation The Gift of Showz. Lim and Leon's influence extended beyond Opening Ceremony. In 2011, they became co-creative directors of Kenzo, the LVMH-owned fashion house, while continuing to lead their own company. In 2019, they announced their departure from Kenzo and said they had reacquired all shares of Opening Ceremony from minority investor Berkshire Partners. Their final Kenzo presentation took place in June 2019 for Spring 2020. In January 2020, Opening Ceremony was acquired by New Guards Group, the fashion company associated with Off-White and other brands. The founders announced the following day that the retail stores would close during that year, citing changes in consumer behavior and shopping habits. Under New Guards Group, Opening Ceremony continued to release collections, with Fall/Winter 2022 identified as its most recent confirmed collection in the supplied reference material. No later collection or definitive operating status is established here. The brand has nevertheless retained cultural visibility through celebrity and musician associations, including appearances on Rihanna, Drake, Omarion, and the Linda Lindas.
History
Opening Ceremony began in 2002 when Carol Lim and Humberto Leon opened a boutique in downtown New York. The founders designed the store as a meeting point between fashion retail, independent design, art, and international cultural discovery. Its assortment combined the founders' own products with labels that were emerging, underrepresented, or not yet broadly distributed in the United States. The store's commercial philosophy intentionally placed luxury and inexpensive goods together, treating the retail environment as a form of editorial selection rather than a narrow status hierarchy. The brand's reputation grew through its support of designers and its willingness to sell unusual categories and international labels. It was an early retailer of Havaianas and Topshop and also carried or promoted designers including Alexander Wang, Comme des Garçons, Proenza Schouler, and Rodarte. Opening Ceremony expanded its physical presence to Los Angeles and Tokyo. The Tokyo location in Shibuya became particularly associated with the company's design-led retail approach and was ranked fourth in Complex's 2013 list of the world's best stores. Opening Ceremony also developed into a product label. Its collaborations frequently crossed fashion with film, music, furniture, performance, and popular culture. In 2008, Chloë Sevigny worked with Humberto Leon on a clothing line sold through Barneys stores across the United States. In 2009, the brand worked with Spike Jonze on a collection related to his film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, with jewelry by Pamela Love. In 2010, it partnered with Maison Margiela on the French house's first co-branded project, followed in 2011 by a womenswear line for the MM6 label. Later projects included a 2017 collaboration with Esprit and a 2018 furniture collection made with Crosby Studios. Presentation became a defining part of the brand's identity. Instead of relying only on standard runway formats, Opening Ceremony frequently commissioned theatrical or choreographic productions. Jonah Hill wrote the one-act play Lost Cotton for the Spring 2015 presentation. For the Spring 2016 show, choreographer Justin Peck directed a garden-set performance in which models moved through repeated falls and recoveries; the collection referenced bonsai embroidery, African textiles, and Moorish silhouettes. Spike Jonze directed Changers for Fall 2017, with choreography by Ryan Heffington and performances by Lakeith Stanfield and Mia Wasikowska at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. The brand also worked with the New York City Ballet on The Times Are Racing, dressing dancers in casual Opening Ceremony clothing. The Spring 2018 collection was shown after hours in Disneyland's Toontown as part of a presentation marking Mickey Mouse's ninetieth birthday, with Mickey and Minnie appearing on the runway. The Spring 2019 show, The Gift of Showz, used a drag-centered format at (Le) Poisson Rouge and included Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, Lypsinka, West Dakota, and many other performers, with Christina Aguilera opening the finale. A February 2019 lookbook further emphasized the founders' cultural network by featuring figures such as musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, chef Angela Dimayuga, and designer Anna Sui. A 2008 lookbook featuring Chloë Sevigny was photographed by Mark Borthwick. Lim and Leon simultaneously broadened their industry role through Kenzo. They became co-creative directors of the LVMH-owned house in 2011. In 2019, they announced that they would leave Kenzo and had reacquired Berkshire Partners' minority interest in Opening Ceremony. Their last Kenzo show was held on June 23, 2019, for the Spring 2020 season. On January 13, 2020, New Guards Group acquired Opening Ceremony. The next day, the founders announced plans to close all of the brand's retail stores during 2020, citing fast-changing shopping behavior and consumer habits. The label continued to release products under New Guards Group; Fall/Winter 2022 is the latest confirmed collection identified by the supplied reference material. The subsequent operating status of the brand is not established in the available material. Its cultural reach is reflected in appearances worn by Rihanna, Drake, Omarion, and the Linda Lindas, among others.
- 2022
Latest confirmed collection in supplied reference
[1]Fall/Winter 2022 is identified as the most recent confirmed Opening Ceremony collection in the supplied reference material.
- 2020
Acquisition by New Guards Group
[1]New Guards Group acquired Opening Ceremony; the founders subsequently announced the closure of its retail stores.
- 2019
Founders leave Kenzo and reacquire Opening Ceremony
[1]Lim and Leon announced their departure from Kenzo and said they had bought back Berkshire Partners' minority stake in Opening Ceremony.
- 2018
Disneyland presentation and Crosby Studios furniture
[1]The brand presented Spring 2018 in Disneyland's Toontown and created a monochromatic royal-purple furniture collection with Crosby Studios.
- 2017
Esprit collaboration
[1]Opening Ceremony and Esprit created a joint apparel collection.
- 2013
Tokyo store recognized by Complex
[1]The Shibuya store was ranked fourth in Complex's world-store ranking.
- 2011
Lim and Leon join Kenzo
[1]The two founders became co-creative directors of LVMH-owned Kenzo.
- 2010
Maison Margiela co-branded project
[1]The brand collaborated with Maison Margiela on the French house's first co-branded project.
- 2008
Chloë Sevigny collaboration
[1]Opening Ceremony released a clothing line created with Chloë Sevigny and Humberto Leon, distributed through Barneys.
- 2002
Opening Ceremony founded in New York
[1]Carol Lim and Humberto Leon opened the original downtown New York boutique.
Products and positioning
Concept-driven, premium contemporary fashion combining emerging-designer discovery, accessible and luxury merchandise, global cultural references, and performance-oriented brand experiences.
Apparel · 2002
Opening Ceremony ready-to-wear
The in-house label produced contemporary clothing shaped by global cultural references, playful styling, and a willingness to move between accessible basics and more directional fashion. Collections often incorporated unusual presentation formats and references drawn from performance, film, art, dance, and street culture.
Accessories · 2002
Opening Ceremony accessories and footwear
Accessories and footwear formed part of the label's broader fashion assortment and its multi-brand retail concept. The category sat alongside apparel, collaborative products, and selected goods from external designers.
Collaborations · 2008
Collaborative collections
Opening Ceremony's collaborative product line included projects with Chloë Sevigny, Spike Jonze, Maison Margiela, MM6, Esprit, and Crosby Studios. These projects extended beyond conventional apparel into film-related merchandise, jewelry, furniture, and cross-brand capsules.
Retail · 2002
Curated multi-brand retail assortment
The stores carried Opening Ceremony products alongside emerging and established international labels. Notable labels associated with its retail history include Havaianas, Topshop, Alexander Wang, Comme des Garçons, Proenza Schouler, and Rodarte.
Furniture and design · 2018
Crosby Studios furniture collection
The 2018 project with Crosby Studios expanded the brand into interiors, producing tables, chairs, and other furniture in a monochromatic royal-purple treatment.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019The Gift of Showz
United States
Opening Ceremony presented its Spring 2019 collection through a drag-focused performance at (Le) Poisson Rouge, featuring Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, Lypsinka, West Dakota, and numerous other performers, with Christina Aguilera opening the finale.
Outcome. A high-profile example of the brand's use of performance and LGBTQIA+ cultural participation in place of a conventional runway.
- 2018Disneyland Toontown Spring 2018 presentation
United States
The Spring 2018 collection was shown after hours at Disneyland's Toontown to mark Mickey Mouse's ninetieth birthday, with Mickey and Minnie appearing in the presentation.
Outcome. The event reinforced Opening Ceremony's entertainment-led and cross-cultural approach to fashion presentation.
- 2017Changers
United States
Spike Jonze directed and Ryan Heffington choreographed a dance piece for the Fall 2017 collection at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, starring Lakeith Stanfield and Mia Wasikowska.
Outcome. The project positioned the collection as a cinematic and choreographic work rather than a standard runway show.
Brand decisions
2020
Sell the brand to New Guards GroupM&ABackground
Opening Ceremony was acquired during a period when fashion retail was undergoing rapid changes in shopping behavior and distribution.
Action taken
New Guards Group acquired the brand on January 13, 2020.
Aftermath
The label continued releasing collections, while the founders announced the closure of all retail stores during 2020.
2020
Close the retail-store networkStrategyBackground
Carol Lim and Humberto Leon cited rapid changes in consumer behavior and shopping habits.
Action taken
The founders announced that all Opening Ceremony retail stores would close during the year.
Aftermath
The brand continued as a product label under New Guards Group, but the available material does not establish whether it remains actively operating today.
2019
Reacquire minority ownershipStrategyBackground
Berkshire Partners had held a minority stake in Opening Ceremony.
Action taken
Lim and Leon announced that they had reacquired all shares held by Berkshire Partners.
Aftermath
The ownership change preceded the 2020 sale of the company to New Guards Group.
Recent events
Reported
New Guards Group reported to plan acquisition of Opening Ceremony intellectual and trademark property[3]
The article reported that Farfetch-owned New Guards Group would acquire the intellectual and trademark property of retailer and label Opening Ceremony. Exact purchase details were not disclosed.
Reported
Opening Ceremony plans to close stores in 2020[4]
Humberto Leon and Carol Lim said Opening Ceremony stores in New York, Los Angeles and Japan would close sometime in 2020.
Reported
New Guards Group acquires Opening Ceremony[4]
Farfetch-owned New Guards Group acquired the Opening Ceremony brand; the article says the announcement came one day before its January 12 publication.
Sources4 sources
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