Esprit collaborates with Opening Ceremony

By

Bruno Joly

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 8, 2016

Esprit has started the autumn with a bang, by announcing a collaboration with Opening Ceremony. The New York fashion label has a history of collaborations (with Maison Martin Margiela, Adidas Originals, etc.), and appears to have taken the initiative in this joint effort, all the more surprising given the two labels' current positioning.

Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, the two founders and the current creative directors of Kenzo, are of Californian origin, as was Esprit some time ago, and the retailer brand was an influence in their adolescence. The agreement between Opening Ceremony and Esprit will initially last for three seasons.

The first collection, for the Autumn 2016, features forty ready-to-wear items and accessories for men and women, the majority of them actually unisex. It is inspired by Esprit's Californian roots and by its 1980s and 1990s aesthetic. The collection is colourful, fun and versatile, and includes several reversible garments.

It will be available in Paris at Tom Greyhound, in London at Selfridges, in Hong Kong at IT and at the Opening Ceremony stores in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. And of course on the Opening Ceremony website. Though not at Esprit...