In the mid-2010s, while still a design student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Peter Do went to the store Opening Ceremony at 35 Howard Street in Soho, not to shop but to dream. .
“I will just browse,” said the Vietnam-born designer Nominee for Andam Award 2022. “Honestly, the people there are so nice, and everyone is so young, you don’t feel threatened. You just hang out and do whatever… It’s a friendly place. ”
The mecca of downtown New York is great closed in early 2020, was one of the first major casualties in the retail sector of the pandemic. But now, in a collaboration for Opening ceremony Celebrating the brand’s 20th anniversary, Do had the opportunity to pay tribute to the community that included 35 Howard. Partnership with online retailer Farfetch, as the first in a series of special exclusive partnerships called Farfetch BeatDue to his aesthetic application — perfect tailoring defeated by a profound understanding of sensuality and exotic bodies — to Opening Ceremony’s iconic varsity jacket.
Courtesy of FARFETCH
Courtesy of FARFETCH
“We have known Peter for several years and have always truly admired his craft, knowledge and approach to fashion,” Opening Ceremony founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon told GQ in an email. . “He was always talking about how he found a community at the OC store, which really touched us because that is exactly what we hope to create for others like us. ”
Since the worldwide media shutdown, Lim and Leon have been able to reflect on what the Opening Ceremony means in an online-first era that continually raises existential questions for gathering venues. . “We are always learning and growing, and for us, it is exciting to see how much the digital world is expanding,” they said. “We are always experimenting and looking for ways to connect with our customers around the world in the most direct way… The stars are right for Farfetch Beat, which is the perfect platform to bring this partnership with Peter Do to life. living.”
True to form, Opening Ceremony — which has featured everyone from Yoko Ono to Spike Jonze — teases “some amazing surprise collaborations” for the rest of their 20th anniversary. But a collaboration with Do, a famous Asian-American designer whose direct influence on their careers, seemed like the perfect place to start.
GQ spoke with Do about reinventing the Opening Ceremony varsity jacket and dressing it up as armor the night before the release of the collaboration.
Courtesy of FARFETCH
Courtesy of FARFETCH
GQ: Before, You said about how Carol and Humberto’s Spring/Summer 2018 show for Kenzo at Paris Fashion Week was an important moment for you. How does seeing that affect you? What does their success mean to you as a fledgling designer?
Peter Do: I think Carol and Humberto opened a lot of doors for creatives like me who came after them, who thought [an Asian designer] Being a director at a French house is impossible. I’ve never seen it done that way and it always seemed impossible until they did, I guess. I was so inspired watching all of that while they were under Kenzo’s leadership. I think it just creates opportunity and space for people like me.
