Carrie Brownstein Fred Armisen Whoopi Goldberg - Getty - H 2016
JP Yim/Getty ImagesOpening Ceremony wants you to rock the vote this November.
On Sunday evening, designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim enlisted their famous friends to convince everyone in the crowd to head to the polls on Nov. 8. Held at the Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen, the runway presentation turned variety show was hosted by Portlandia co-creators Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.
A tribute to the American democratic process, the “Pageant of the People” show opened with a bit of ceremony, as guests walked a hall lined with flagbearers representing dozens of different countries (and wearing a United Nations-worth of colorful varsity jackets, too).
“On the surface, fashion has little to do with politics. Yet when we get dressed, we make decisions about which aspects of ourselves to present to the world,” read the show notes. Leon and Lim took the opportunity, on Sept. 11 no less, to use their show as a platform for the kind of political discussion typically absent during fashion week.
ROCK THE VOTE: From left: Carrie Brownstein, Ali Wong, Rashida Jones and Natasha Lyonne on stage for Opening Ceremony’s “Pageant of the People” show. (Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images)
The show featured a mix of models and celebrities — including Parks and Recreation alums Aubrey Plaza and Rashida Jones, Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant, Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat, Orange Is the New Black‘s Diane Guerrero and Natasha Lyonne, Baby Cobra‘s Ali Wong, former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams, Girl Meets World‘s Rowan Blanchard and Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to address a major party’s convention at this past July’s Democratic National Convention — taking to the runway to speak their minds and showcase OC’s fall II and winter 2016 collection, which featured dresses and coats embroidered with wildflower motifs, multicolored rib-knit sweaters and patchwork denim jackets.
Joining the “see now, buy now” movement, OC teamed with Saks Fifth Avenue to present a presale of the fall II collection, now available for ordering at OpeningCeremony.com and SaksFifthAvenue.com.
Truth be told, it was a bit hard to pay attention to the clothes while listening to what the stars had to say about topics ranging from work-life balance (“Real talk — I have a nanny,” said Wong) and identity (“I feel most like myself when I walk into my apartment and I take my bra off and sit on the couch and watch a little Real Housewives,” said Williams). But that was okay.
CATWALK THE VOTE: Whoopi Goldberg walks Opening Ceremony’s “Pageant of the People” show. (Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images)
Though the crowd’s enthusiasm seemed to wane midway through the event, Whoopi Goldberg restored it again when she closed the show wearing a black long-sleeve gown with tiered ruffles.
Brownstein and Armisen posed the question, “Why should we vote in November?” And Goldberg deadpanned: “You should vote because if you don’t vote, you can’t bitch.”
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