Oh, boy! Where is the last place you'd expect a fashion show to take place? We'll bet Disneyland didn't even cross your list of possibilities. But if you're friends of Opening Ceremony's cofounders, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, their Toontown extravaganza on Wednesday evening may not have surprised you. The two longtime Disney fans just made their own dreams come true by merging their brand with their nostalgic love for the House of Mouse in an unprecedented display.
Hosting their SS18 ready-to-wear show in Disneyland Resort's Toowntown in Anaheim, California, Opening Ceremony's belated fashion week showing marked the first catwalk that's taken place at the park in 40 years (according to a Disney spokesperson, they hosted a themed show about the evolution of American women in 1978). In tandem with Mickey Mouse's upcoming 90th birthday, the OC designers worked with Disney to create a limited-edition collection dedicated to the cartoon mouse using the backdrop of his own home. (If you missed the live stream, you can catch it in its entirety on YouTube.)
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The spectacle was every bit as over the top as you would expect from an audience serving both hypebeasts and Disney-philes: using the Toontown trolley track as the runway stage, a soundtrack that meshed electro beats with Mickey's recognizably jolly voice, and a near empty cartoon-themed park offered Instagram opportunities galore.
Not two minutes after Opening Ceremony kicked off the event with a rundown of their current spring and summer offerings did the real fun begin. Leading the Mickey-themed runway, Disneyland's in-house band marched out (all matching in Opening Ceremony's new glittery La Cienaga sneakers no less), playing the classic 1960's Mickey Mouse Club theme song. Soon after, Mickey and Minnie emerged in full custom OC ensembles accompanied by a crew of dancers with a choreographed set that made sure to include a dab or two.
But it was the line-up of models that stole the show. Dressed in head to toe Disney gear, each original look one upped the last to reach new heights of what Disney's newfound footing in fashion really means. From a red furry coat adorned in throwback Mickey heads to a denim set embroidered with Mickey body parts, Leon and Lim made sure their pieces were far from subtle. The result? An entire collection of cartoon adorned looks that will have Disney fashion fanatics and cool kids alike clutching their pearls before bolting to the nearest site that'll carry the pieces.
Complete with a star-studded attendee list (Chance the Rapper, Laverne Cox, Maya Rudolph, and Disney starlet Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few) and an after party that included a DJ set by Diplo, access to unlimited Disneyland churros and popcorn, and a few open rides, the OC duo made sure to drive their inspiration home with a party the park's probably never seen before.
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A quick intake of Disney's re-emergence in the fashion sphere for the last few years shows the hype isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If anything, Leon and Lim's show fights the idea that Disney x "fashion" may be more than a passing fad and instead a cultural resurgence of how fashion can be fun again, even if the price tag may be a little more than what we're willing to part with.
While the show featured its SS18 products, only select, retro-inspired pieces from the Disney x Opening Ceremony collection are available for purchase this season (to get your hands on the rest, you'll have to wait for the second drop in November). For now, you can drop by OpeningCeremony.com and ShopDisney.com to pick up some of the Mickey-inspired pieces today.