Opening Ceremony's "A Lunar Lookbook"

Jing Liu (architect, founder of design firm SO-IL), with her daughters Amalia and Francis

In the release of their Fall/Winter 2019 collection, A Lunar Lookbook, the fashion brand, Opening Ceremony decided to honor Asian pioneers by casting them to model the new clothing. “I think it’s time to really reflect on where you are from,” says one of the creative directors, Humberto Leon, “Carol [Lim] and I are going through a time of self-love and appreciating that.” The lookbook features a cast of Asian and Asian-American icons, from actors to playwrights to musicians and even fellow designers. Leon explained that all those modeling the pieces have illustrated “how to break through in a world that doesn’t feel like we are represented.” Included in this community of inspiring people is Wendy Leon, Humberto’s own mother.

This lookbook, along with their Lunar New Year “Pig Out” party, celebrates these incredible individuals and their Asian identities. Not only marking the coming together of these people, but also using the event to raise donations for MOCA and Apex for Youth, two organizations that do outreach to preserve New York’s Chinatown.

The collection was inspired by two iconic ‘80s and ‘90s Hong Kong cinema stars, Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. These two figures were known for challenging class and gender norms in films. Their own style was influential throughout Leon’s life but also to the pieces in Opening Ceremony’s collection - showcasing eclectic, colorful, and joyful everyday looks.

To view the complete lookbook, click here.

Photography by Sebastian Kim