"We're kind of self-professed nerds," said Opening Ceremony's Humberto Leon, walking through the 12 linked rooms of his and partner Carol Lim's new L.A. outpost. The La Cienega store, in a landmark building that was once home to Charlie Chaplin's dance studio, is painted in the muted colors of German artist Josef Albers' work. And on Saturday night, it was buzzing with fashion folk from both coasts, including Cecilia Dean of Visionaire, Arianne Phillips, Jeremy Scott, and Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy.

"I think they're going to give Fred Segal a run for its money," said vintage dealer-turned-designer Katy Rodriguez, admitting she couldn't wait for her own silk frocks to arrive in the store later this month. Her beau, Tony Alva, meanwhile, had his eye on an Alexandre Herchcovitch one-piece shirt-and-shorts ensemble. "They're like action pajamas!" he exclaimed. "Just grab your skateboard, put on your Vans, and go!" Others were content merely to rave about the pan-Asian hors d'oeuvres whipped up by Leon's caterer mom.

Late that night, Jefferson Hack and new couple Spike Jonze and Drew Barrymore joined the other revelers at the Echo Park nightclub the Echoplex, where designer-cum-DJ Benjamin Cho was manning the decks. The Smiths' This Charming Man drew the entire Opening Ceremony staff and a dozen of their friends to the stage, and when the police arrived at 2 a.m. to shut the club down, Barrymore and Jonze's former flame Karen O were still on the dance floor. Nobody was more disappointed to see the party end than Cho, who had a good 20 Morrissey tunes left in his repertoire.

— Steffie Nelson