Yoko Ono’s revealing menswear line with Opening Ceremony

Yoko Ono has never been one to conform, and there is certainly nothing ordinary about her recent fashion collaboration with Opening Ceremony, titled Fashion for Men: 1969-2012. 

Ono’s inspiration came from a series of sketches she drew in 1969 as a wedding present for John Lennon. The fashion illustrations were for clothes and accessories that would celebrate the male form. As Ono explains: “I was inspired to create Fashion for Men, [because I was] amazed at how my man was looking so great. I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasising his very sexy bod.” A present which Lennon adored. 

The fashion line is not for the faint-hearted, and was designed to break away from the normal shirt and tie male uniform. Every piece in the collection has been turned into a statement item, which focuses on different parts of the male form. The limited edition items include cheeky trousers with the back cut out, hot pink blazers with mesh sleeves and vests with nipple holes. Maybe not ideal for everyday wear, but definitely something you’ll get noticed in – hopefully not for indecent exposure. Accessories for these eccentric pieces are equally as outlandish. One piece resembles a sandwich board as a small Perspex plaque with bells on, and quote “ring for your mommy piece” hangs over the nipples. Ono’s accessories collection has interactive elements such as leather belts with working chrome bells and knee-high boots with pockets. 

There’s a tongue-in-cheek element to the collection – the trousers with the hand-print on the crotch for instance – that is coupled with a strong feeling of admiration. The original sketches drawn in 1969 were to appreciate the lover of Ono’s life, something which hasn’t been lost in the physical make-up of her designs. Now, 48 years after they were created, Opening Ceremony has helped bring Ono’s drawings to life.

Hollie Bracciale
Photos: Courtesy of Opening Ceremony

Each piece is part of a limited run of only 52, and is available only at Opening Ceremony.