“Daddy, who are they?” asked a kid in a stroller, being hustled through the gates of Disneyland and pointing to the conspicuously dressed fashion crowd making their way inside. “They have to leave too,” the kid was told. “It’s closing. Everyone has to go home.”
It was indeed closing time at the Anaheim theme park, but the night was only beginning for those with a ticket to the after-hours show from Opening Ceremony, which was showcasing its spring collection, as well as a Disney-themed capsule, created in honor of Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday.
“It’s disturbingly clean,” remarked one Opening Ceremony fiend of the surroundings, as guests made their way to the show’s location in Toontown, a cartoon-themed section of the park dedicated and home to Mickey and Minnie and, for one night, Opening Ceremony’s founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. “To the left of It’s a Small World,” announced a beaming staffer at will call.
Doors to Toontown opened at 9 P.M. sharp, and the V.I.P.s were already beginning to take their seats. “It’s the squad,” said Diplo, donning a Mickey Mouse hat and describing Leon and Lim. “We love them.”
A few steps away were sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, known as R&B duo Chloe x Halle and stars of ABC’s Grown-ish. They rose to fame after posting a YouTube video covering Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts,” and here they were, about a month away from performing at Coachella on the same day as the pop star.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said 19-year-old Chloe. “It feels like all of this is one, big dream, and I don’t want to wake up.”
It was their first time at Disneyland. “We’ve been to [Walt] Disney World,” chimed in younger sister Halle, 17. “But we live here and still hadn’t been, so it’s fun. We’re so excited—just feel so blessed.”
It was Laverne Cox’s first visit too. “It’s weird, but I just have never gotten around to coming,” said the Orange Is the New Black star. “How great that fashion brought me out to Disney.”
Cox had woken up that morning to news of a petition made by fans for her to be the inspiration for the first transgender Barbie. “I saw that!” she said. “Can I tell you, yesterday we were at a meeting, and I saw the Ava DuVernay Barbie, and I said to my manager, ‘We need a Barbie. I want a Barbie.’ I said this yesterday, and on Twitter today, there’s a petition. I’m like, ‘Is that the power of manifestation? You just say it, and all of a sudden on Twitter there’s a petition?’”
“Not just for my ego,” Cox clarified. “But I think it would be amazing for trans kids, and also non-trans kids, all over the world to have a trans Barbie to play with.”
Season after season, Leon and Lim have continued to gather a community of artists, musicians, and Hollywood fans, many of whom have become friends of the designers. The show’s front row included longtime supporter Jason Schwartzman,Karen O with Barnaby Clay,Twin Shadow with Rainey Qualley, her sister and actress Margaret Qualley,Fred Armisen,Maya Rudolph,Chance the Rapper, who avoided press, and Ashton Sanders.
“I was asleep,” Sanders said of the hour-long ride from Los Angeles to Anaheim. “I was knocked out!”
Sanders, who had his breakout role in 2016’s Moonlight, wrapped The Equalizer 2 with Denzel Washington, out this summer.
“He’s a master at his craft, and every scene with him was almost like a master class,” said the 22-year-old. “He taught me a lot about staying true to the artistry, and not being sidetracked by all the rest of the Hollywood bullshit, you know? It’s about the art. It’s about the craft. It’s about inspiring and creating.”
The presentation began with models donning the spring line—a nod to California in the 70s with colorful knitwear, waterproof sportswear, denim, bucket hats, Birkenstocks, and platform sneakers. Then came the Disney collaboration, which was full of sporty taffeta and jersey gowns, sweatshirts, and faux-fur jackets, all covered with Mickey’s familiar face. The designers made their bow alongside Mickey and Minnie themselves and with a marching band, which played The Mickey Mouse Club theme song.
More and more brands in recent years have aimed to turn fashion shows into memorable experiences, but with Opening Ceremony, it’s to be expected at this point. The designers have worked with all sorts of performers, from ballet dancers to stunt performers, and collaborated with a long list of known names, most notably Spike Jonze for their 15th anniversary. Now, they’ve turned their attention to Disney, marking the first time in 40 years that a fashion show has taken place at the park.
During the after-party, the entirety of Toontown was open to guests, where a D.J. spun thumping hip-hop while the crowd enjoyed the childhood dream of amusement rides with no lines and an endless supply of drinks (in this case, liquor included) and junk food: pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, churros, and cotton candy.
“Welcome to our temporary home,” said Lim as we entered the makeshift backstage area—inside Mickey’s house, of course.
“The opportunity to do a show at Disneyland has been something that we’ve joked about, talked about, dreamed about—in every way possible,” said Leon. The designers were the ones to approach Disney. “We threw this idea out about five months ago, and here we are today.”
Born and raised in Southern California, the designers are longtime lovers of all things Disney. Leon shared that he even designed his own Mickey Mouse-inspired bow tie for his senior prom.
“Kinda crazy,” he said with a laugh. “Yesterday, when we saw the trumpet players come and play Mickey’s song, we started crying, because it was such an amazing moment,” continued Leon.
“So emotional,” added Lim. “We’re spending the whole day here tomorrow.”
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