Katseye is well on its way to becoming the textbook 2020s girl group. But what about the man dressing them? Humberto Leon, the former co-creative director of Kenzo and co-founder of Opening Ceremony, has found his next chapter as the grand image architect behind the K-pop-inspired act.
What’s one work of art that got you through an important moment in your life?
Happy Together by Wong Kar-Wai brought all these worlds together that made me understand me.
Name an influence of yours that might surprise people.
Everyone who I have ever had a chance to work with has influenced me. My first manager at the Gap, Dean Hollenkamp, who looked at me and said, “You look like you would be good at visual merchandising.” Or my first real bosses, Liz Elert and John Valdivia, who said, “One day I will work for you.”
What do you think is your biggest contribution to culture?
I’m constantly curious about what is the now of culture and want to think beyond it. With Opening Ceremony, we created a community, a language, and a feeling that will forever live in a world of “had to be there.” With Kenzo, we were always working against the grain of what was expected in order to be a part of the unexpected. Katseye is about celebrating voices and being a part of a team that champions and redefines a girl group.
What would you wear to meet your greatest enemy?
Closed-toe shoes.
What would you be doing if you weren’t working in your field?
I’d be a parking attendant.
What question do you ask yourself most often while you’re making work?
Will I be jealous of this?
What keeps you up at night?
Making frozen soft serve with my daughters, late night games of catch, and running around trying to find NeeDohs.
What are you looking forward to this year?
I’m excited to work on projects that can be a part of the ever shifting cultural landscape—creating things that we can look back on in 20 years.
What’s something people get wrong about you?
That I’m not just a regular suburban nerdy kid who loves to dream.
To read more from the 2026 CULT100 honorees, see the full list here.
in your life?
