Opening Ceremony show at New York fashion week: five things to know

The Opening Ceremony label are channelling the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, while his daughter inspired a catwalk filled with undercover ballet dancers



Models on the catwalk at the Opening Ceremony show.
 Models on the catwalk at the Opening Ceremony show. Photograph: WWD/REX
An Opening Ceremony show is never a straightforward, models-walking-up-and-down-a-catwalk affair. They have staged a play in the past, and made awesome sweatshirts with Kodak last season. Here are five things to know about their SS16 show.

 Model at the Opening Ceremony: Ready to Wear New York show. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
 Model at the Opening Ceremony: Ready to Wear New York show. Photograph: REX Shutterstock
The look is inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright
The architect’s graphic work on stained glass inspired the patterns on the lampshades dotted around the venue, and the lattice work on the clothes, including some very nice fringed skirts.

But it’s actually his daughter Iovanna who was the main event
She produced costumes for dance dramas in the late 60s and – surprise! – dancers were dotted among the models here. They were announced with a falling move (possibly in a nod to Frank’s famous Fallingwater building?) that looked like a regular catwalk stumble. When that turned into some Fame-worthy dance moves, the New York City Ballet dancers’ real identities were revealed.

 Background scenery at the Opening Ceremony New York show. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
 Background scenery at the Opening Ceremony New York show. Photograph: WWD/REX Shutterstock
Flowers cheer up any venue
Opening Ceremony turned their gritty Wall Street venue into a veritable green-fingered paradise with plants everywhere. For a set of harried editors at the end of a long day, it had a calming effect. The good work will continue long after the fashion crowd have left the building: the plants will be donated to nonprofit organisation Edible Schoolyard, to place in public schools around New York.

 Laverne Cox at the Opening Ceremony show. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
 Laverne Cox at the Opening Ceremony show. Photograph: WWD/REX Shutterstock
Laverne Cox is the best addition to the frow we can think of
She was at the Opening Ceremony show, and has long worked with the brand. This time, she appeared a vision in caramel and made the other frow highlight of the day – Beckham senior and junior at Victoria Beckham – seem almost secondary. Almost.

 Look 23 in the Opening Ceremony show. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
 Look 23 in the Opening Ceremony show. Photograph: WWD/REX Shutterstock
Look 23 was the SS16 winner
A short mac with smart gold buttons and a pair of flared mid-blue jeans is all you need next season. Refer to Grace in Look 23 and study closely. These two items – the rust mac in particular, something that Opening Ceremony call the Miller Barn jacket – are a little bit mid-century, but a lot modern. They’re very good indeed.