The Gang’s All Here: Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony

If there’s one thing to say about Opening Ceremony, it’s that the branding is airtight. Creating their signature optimistic-but-intelligent SoHo-meets-Lower East Side energy requires some specific elements, and they know just where to find them. Witness the pre-spring 2011 presentation of the highly successful Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony, through which the actress and the brand mutually consolidate their voices for a set of aspirational, hip, creative people. The tea-time themed afternoon featured scones and mini-sandwiches, and took place in the classic sculpture garden of the Elizabeth Street Gallery. Sevigny’s friends, whom she thanked at the Golden Globes, were in tow, as both inspirations and models for the looks. Writer Lesley Arfin, Gang Gang Dance singer Lizzi Bougatsos, musician Lissy Trullie, artist Rita Ackermann, photo agent Jen Brill, and Mario Sorrenti’s beautiful wife Mary Frey and her young (and scandalously stunning) daughter were all on hand–and the lucky ones lent their names to a piece.

The collection revolved around five different styles and prints—polka dots, paisley, houndstooth floral and leopards. “I just wanted to make dresses that girls could wear, that were easy. I love dresses because you don’t have to think about too many things–a dress and a great shoe and you’re good to go,” said Sevigny. The shoes were, in fact, also designed by Sevigny, although she probably didn’t have the aforementioned muddy sculpture in mind when she came up with the sky-high platform clogs. Daddy Long Legs actress Dakota Goldhor, modeling a look, had promised herself she wouldn’t fall, and took a wise rest on a shady bench.  Sevigny designed the chunky woody platforms with Opening Ceremony and NaNa’s, of which she’s been a fan since the ’90s.

Standout looks included reversible silk bombers (“to kind of tomboy up the dresses a little bit,” explained Sevigny), crop tees designed in collaboration with the Mapplethorpe Foundation, featuring full-bleed images from the photographer that harmoniously matched the elegiac sculpture on-hand, and oversized, cat-eyed sunglasses from Barton Perreira.

“I wanted to simplify things for girls—fun patterns, and  make it  wacky with a tights or a hat,” continued Sevigny. Speaking of wacky hats, she designed one in the collection especially for her friend Lizzi Bougatsos of Gang Gang Dance. “I don’t have a dress named after me. I have a doo-rag hat–I have a  collection of them,” Bougatsos said. “She really wanted me to be in my element. She  really knows how to capture people.”