News flash: Opening Ceremony goes trans-Pacific

We've been saying for months that Opening Ceremony is the new Barneys, and darned if they haven't gone and proved our point by announcing their first international shop opening -- in that edgiest of fashion meccas, Tokyo. 

Since opening up shop on a dingy New York block in 2002, they've expanded their original boutique from a single floor featuring a dozen meticulously selected designers, to, well, two floors featuring a plethora of meticulously selected designers, including classic brands that created new designs especially for them. They've added an in-house line of womenswear, menswear, and shoes; they've collaborated with Chloë Sevigny and Betsey Johnson, and fostered Liberty-print Nikes; they opened a New York showroom and an LA outpost; and now they're off to win over the Japanese. 

Best of luck, Humberto and Carol – but we're pretty sure you won't need it!

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Update (4/14/09): A little bird tells us the gigantic Japanese firm Kashiyama is investing in OC. No wonder they're opening in Tokyo!

Coming Soon (Tokyo)

Yohji Yamamoto's contributions to fashion have already been substantial: his own, avant-garde main line; Y's, a second line; Y-3, his sporty yet sophisticated Adidas collaboration; and more recently, his daughter, Limi Feu, whose line is a boxier, tomboyish take on Dad's fixations with black, Edwardian, and deconstruction. As if he weren't busy enough, his new under-the-radar label, Coming Soon, debuted this year with a 200-piece collection of utilitarian clothes and accessories, all marked by a discreet circle logo. Instead of a runway show, the line gets a 21st-century treatment: a grainy black-and-white YouTube video directed by Max Vadukul. Pieces include a black-and-white inside-out trenchcoat; boyfriend jeans; dropped-crotch "skirt-pants" (skants?); and button-downs with patchwork detailing.