Depolarizing Style and Sustainability: OpéraSPORT Autumn Winter 2023

The presence of sustainability and elegance in fashion is often approached as an either-or model. The design duo proposes the choice is an illusion—perhaps, you can have both.

Stretching throughout the expanse of a white room, a narrow runway becomes an intimate space as OpéraSPORT presents its Autumn/Winter 2023 collection. Stephanie Gundelach and Awa Malina Stelter approach their latest collection like a gallery would with a work of art, curating the runway as a space to explore the intersection of imposed polarities. Whether concerning the practicality of Copenhagen and the opulence of Paris or sustainability and style, OpéraSPORT teaches us these concepts may not be as far from each other as we think.

As the name suggests, OpéraSPORT arises where elegance and urban mode collide. Merging the glamour of Parisian style with the eco-conscious philosophy deeply embedded within Copenhagen, we arrive at a collection that introduces a new wave of fashion.

Bidding adieu to the throwaway culture so commonly associated with the industry, Gundelach and Stelter catapult sustainability to the forefront of their design ethos. OpéraSPORT’s fabrics—resuscitated from industrial and pre-consumer waste—alongside its made-to-order business model sparks the question, have we been approaching fashion wrong all along?

Courtesy of OpéraSPORT

The presence of sustainability and elegance in fashion is often approached as an either-or model. The design duo proposes the choice is an illusion.

Perhaps, you can have both.

Inspired by the colorful compositions and figurative style of Tom Anholt, the progressive brand translates his flattened, twilight world of painting to the realm of fashion. Florals—not your typical autumnal motif—enter the collection in a black shirt in look 2. Giving a subtle nod to Anholt’s exploration of horticulture as a reflection on the passage of time in Berlin Flower II, perhaps we are meant to be confronted with nature’s deterioration as time progresses.

While some of the collection’s highlights interpret his work in the literal sense—the artist’s midnight landscapes are used as prints in a silk set in look 11, and a zip-up jacket in look 16—his frequented use of color blocking is also magnified throughout the collection.

Courtesy of OpéraSPORT

Dusty hues of purple, brown, chartreuse, and black flood the runway. Entangled in a procession of asymmetrical knots, a sweater in a softened take on chartreuse is contrasted with black. Evocative of the affinity for raw edges from the early aughts, OpéraSPORT imbues a cheeky sense of street style into its collection.

Approaching the same dynamic through a lens of elevated luxury, a black and white sleeveless top in look seven uses an asymmetrical sweep of knots in an elegant ensemble. Paired with ruched sheer gloves and a denim pencil skirt, the look speaks for the collection’s versatility. Whether dressed up for a day in the office or down for a night out with friends, these garments are staples meant to be worn by real people in the real world.

Courtesy of OpéraSPORT

With the progression of time, technology and production models will continue to skyrocket at lightspeed. The question is can we keep up with it to meet the demands of the industry alongside that of the environment?

As the new generation of designers ushers in an era of experimentation, it is clear that OpéraSPORT is a name to watch for on the radar as it races to reach equilibrium between the two.

 

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