OPENING CEREMONY RELEASES ‘365 DAYS OF PRIDE’ COLLECTION

Although this year rings in the 50th anniversary of the New York City Pride March, the current global pandemic prevents the community from coming together and celebrating. Even so, as a gay man who “lives every day of his life constantly reminded of his gayness, from every morning when he wakes up to the moment before he sleeps,” Opening Ceremony co-founder Humberto Leon realized that all language regarding the cancellation of Pride only highlighted the importance of acknowledging and celebrating Pride beyond June, that Pride exists 365 days of the year.

“The one thing that kept coming to mind as COVID-19 has eviscerated lives on a global scale was its effect on nightlife and the jeopardy the pandemic imposes,” said Leon. “Nightlife is the heart and soul of gay culture; it’s where I first felt comfortable in my own skin, it’s where I had my first kiss. I wanted to do something for the venues important to NYC and for the parties that have celebrated inclusivity and BIPOC representation, with an overall sense of ‘Pride.’”

As a result, Opening Ceremony has designed a collection in honor of this very belief. The brand’s new “365 Days of Pride” collection is a limited-edition capsule that aims to not only celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community in New York but also to pay homage to some of the most historically significant institutions within it.

Seven institutions and artists from the LGBTQIA+ community were supported by Opening Ceremony for working with them on this capsule release. They include three long-standing LGBTQIA+ venues in NYC: Stonewall Inn, Julius, and Henrietta Hudson; and four NYC LGBTQIA+ collectives that celebrate and affirm the lives of marginalized queer and trans people of color: Bubble_T, DisCakes, Glam Collective, and Papi Juice.

To pay tribute to the history and raise awareness of the plight of these seven institutions, Opening Ceremony worked with author Matthew Riemer to curate a list of slogans from past Pride demonstrations and protests. Each slogan is then paired with a contemporary artist to create an artwork inspired by the phrase, and the artwork then becomes the garment design for this collection of t-shirts and tank tops. The artists include Braulio Amado, Aya Brown, Terrell Davis, Rafael Esparza, Andrew Thomas Huang, and Chella Man.

The new Opening Ceremony 365 Days of Pride collection is now available exclusively at farfetch.com.