MARCH 2–15, 2020 | THE CUT 33The 2016 show inspired by ‘Blade Runner.’New York City, like the Sway kids,
the goth kids, the Misshapes, the
hip-hop kids—every single
different constituency was
brought together under one roof
that night. People were
freaking out. I’ve never
seen a door like that.
NovemberOC
collaborates with
longtime shopper Yoko
Ono on a collection
inspired by John
Lennon’s “very sexy bod.”
Whenever she would
come into the store,
they’d pull a special rack
for her of black and
white items.
2013 Year of Belgium
SeptemberOC hosts its first
runway show, with models coming
out of a fleet of cars. Justin Bieber
is in the front row.
H:The collection was all about
this street-racing culture that
Carol and I grew up with in high
school with our Asian friends. No
one in the audience knew, and
when the headlights of the cars
came on, I remember Rihanna
screaming and clapping.
C:Everyone in the front row also
got a Cronut.2014 Year of Russia
FebruaryOC hosts a show with
2,000 pounds of chocolate melting
down a wall next to the runway.
AprilOC collaborates with Teva.
That same month, Berkshire
Partners LLC takes a minority
stake in the
company—OC’s
e
since
opening.
SeptemberJonah
Hill and SpikeThe 2014 chocolate-wall
runway show.Jonze write a 30-minute play
titled100% Lost Cottonfor OC’s
show at the Metropolitan Opera
House. John Cameron Mitchell
plays Humberto, and Catherine
Keener plays Carol.
Jonah Hill:That was my first time
working in fashion at all. I was
always scared of fashion because
I thought it was intimidating.
It was also my first time working
with Spike Jonze. If I didn’t have
the experience of working with
Carol and Humberto, I don’t think
I would have explored it the way
I am now. They made me realize
that fashion could be fun and not
to be taken too seriously.
NovemberHumberto designs
Solange’s wedding dress under the
Kenzo label.2015
SeptemberOC is
early on the vape
craze; PAX sponsors
its spring 2016 show,
and the stores start
selling vape pens.
2016 Year of China
FebruaryOC collaborates with
Syd Mead, the concept artist
responsible for the look ofBlade
Runner,on a futuristic collection.
H:Our entire set was comprised of
around 20 of the futuristic vehicles
[Mead] had drawn, blown up into
massive inflatables. About five
be
a
completely deflated. About
700 people were outside waiting to
be let in. Our producer came to theconclusion that the only way we
could try to make it work is if
someone plugged in the generator,
which could electrocute them.
Our incredible
lighting designer
rose to the challenge,
despite everyone
begging him not to.
He had his assistant
stand behind him
with a wood plank to
hit him with in case
he started getting
electrocuted. We
were dead silent
when he plugged it
in ... Thankfully, he
was okay, but
nothing happened. At this point,
the crowd had been waiting
almost an hour and was getting
antsy. Of course, right when our
PR team started to let people in,
the lights came on, and the entire
set started inflating.
SeptemberOC puts on a “Pageant
of the People” at the Jacob Javits
Convention Center. Fred Armisen
and Carrie Brownstein host a cast
of women, including Aidy Bryant,
Ali Wong, Whoopi Goldberg,
Rosario Dawson, and Jessica
Williams, each of whom takes the
mic to talk about a different
political issue. In the Olympics-
style ceremony, 47 countries are
represented with a flag and a
custom varsity jacket.
H:We took the idea of Trump’s
beauty pageants and twisted it to
make it a pageant of the people.
The ceremony part was really
important. Every single person
carrying the flags was of the origin
of where that flag came from. We
scouted people from all over New
York, so the Polish flag was held
by a kid we found in a grocery
store. We cried at the end, and
I think a lot of people cried. We
needed that.
Fred Armisen:I honestly have
never had an experience like that,
before or after.2017 OC’s 15th Anniversary
JanuaryOC collaborates with
choreographer Justin Peck
onThe Times Are Racing,a
ballet in which the dancers all
wear sneakers.Justin Peck:I had always been
obsessed with their stores. I ended
up meeting Humberto through
artist Marcel Dzama, one of my
visual collaborators. I asked if he’d
be up for working on a ballet, and
that led to [the
dances] New Blood
and The Times^
Are Racing.
March OC drops
glitter Vans.2018
MarchOC brings its show to
Disneyland to celebrate the 90th
anniversary of Mickey Mouse.
September“The Gift of Showz,”
a 100 percent LGBTQA+ show, is
held at the club Le Poisson Rouge
and hosted by Sasha Velour,
featuring a surprise appearance
from Christina Aguilera.
2020 Year of Mexico
JanuaryOC sells its intellectual
property and trademark to New
Guards Group, which owns Off-
White and Heron Preston. The retail
stores will close, but Carol and
Humberto will remain co–creative
directors of the house line.
C:We always say that the physical
will change, but that emotional
connection is forever. When
I hear people say, “Oh, that’s so
OC,” I think that’s a major
accomplishment. We’ve created
a feeling.
H:The store was a meeting point
for people. With whatever we
create, we always keep that in
mind. What’s come out of this is
an amazing community. That’s
not going to change. And if you
think about it that way, you feel
less sad about it.Spike Jonze and Jonah Hill at the
2014 Met Opera show.2013
Front-row
Cronut.2014
Update on
Teva.2012
Yo k o
Ono–
designed
sweats.
2015
Varsity
Beyoncé.2017
Vans that
sparkle!