Spike Jonze's unseen photos transformed into NY Fashion Week show
- Text by Megan White
- Photography by Opening Ceremony
For Opening Ceremony’s New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2015 show, designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim created not just a show, but an exhibition – collaborating with long-time friend and director Spike Jonze.
The duo created their Please Use Your Best Judgement collection around never before seen archive prints from Jonze’s collection- turning the show into a one-night-only exhibition of Jonze’s work from 1985-2005. Last season, Jonze and actor Jonah Hill created and directed a one-act play on Opening Ceremony’s origins, staged at the Metropolitan Opera House. This season, Leon and Lim have returned the favour.
Both Opening Ceremony and Jonze have woven the same unique, southern Californian counter-culture ethos throughout their work – the vibe that designers Leon and Lim grew up with in the 1980s.
The photographs feature everything from the evolution of BMXing and underground skate culture in Los Angeles, to early images of Sonic Youth and Björk. The old-school film component of Jonze’s photos inspired Leon to partner with Kodak and created sweatshirts stamped with their vintage logos.
“I’ve been hounding [Jonze] for six or seven years to show me his photo archives because I’m a photography fan and a nerd of pop culture,” Leon told Pret-a-Reporter at the show on Sunday night. “Finally after years he said, ‘Hey, it’s in a place in L.A. where we can look at it.’
“He pulled it all together and said, ‘If you want one day I’ll sit down with you and show you some stuff.’ So that moment turned into three days of us looking at photos and him walking me through moments. It started as a personal conversation between friends.”
You might like
Jesse Glazzard’s messy portrait of queer friends, lovers and chosen family
The Sound of Dirt and Beauty — The photographer’s debut monograph explores tender, unpolished moments shaped by the people who he surrounds himself with, while offering a window into the UK’s working-class LGBTQ+ community.
Written by: Sunny Sunday
Behind the curtain at Alternative Miss World 1981
Olympia glamour — Running a subversive take on the traditional beauty pageant, the Andrew Logan organised event prioritised underground creativity and invention. Photographer David Corio went behind the scenes at its biggest edition.
Written by: Miss Rosen
New exhibition highlights British radical living over 200 years
Earthly Paradise — Taking place at the William Morris Gallery, it explores the homes and lives of artists, writers, musicians and more, as well as the conditions that allowed them to thrive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
What life on the Strait of Hormuz is really like
Southern Winds — Bandar Abbas based photographer Morteza Niknahad has been capturing the diverse communities and stories of his local region since he first picked up a camera. His new series highlights the human impact of war.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters joins team of new Palestinian resistance documentary
Freedom Theatre — Directed by Rishi Pelham, the film spotlights a theatre operating in the Jenin refugee camp.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Nick Haymes’s intimate portrait of his family’s life
Chronograph — Over 25 years, the photographer documented his son’s lives as they grew into adults. The resulting photobook is an exploration of the passage of time, as well as the optimism of youth.
Written by: Miss Rosen
