With its spring/summer ’26 collection, Copenhagen-based brand OpéraSport transported us to Seoul, where striking contrasts and serene traditions inspired a fresh, palate-cleansing start to Copenhagen Fashion Week
Danish brand OpéraSport’s founders, Awa Malina Stelter and Stephanie Gundelach, discovered the inspiration for their spring/summer ’26 collection serendipitously while travelling to Seoul last year for the opening of their pop-up shop.
“We were very struck by the city’s contrasts – their serene cultural traditions, and the modern, futuristic energy,” Stelter recalls. Gundelach chimes in: “There was a beautiful tension between the raw concrete architecture of the city and the refined elegance of the people. We found that very inspiring.”
Pinned on the founders’ mood board this season were traditional Korean hanbok uniforms, the country’s national flower, the hibiscus, and the “amazing, old hotel” the duo stayed at, which provided sweeping views of Seoul – a scenery the pair kept mentally returning to during the design process. Though staged in Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg Badene, the runway show (kicked off by a platform diver plunging into the pool, followed by Alana Hadid sauntering down the catwalk, no less) harked back to the founders’ time in the South Korean capital, with the historic public swimming facility recalling the hotel vistas – including a pool – that greeted them each morning.
Like dusk descending upon the cityscape, silky shirts in soft pastel shades, sheer gossamer tops and flouncy lace-crafted frocks adorned with delicate 3D blooms are offset by sharp suiting, structured cargo trousers and vegan leather jackets and skirts rendered in darker tones of black and navy. Elsewhere, the hibiscus flower finds its form throughout the collection in ruffled swimwear, graphic prints, intricate embroidery gracing form-hugging tops, ladylike dresses, and sculptural floral appliqués dotting refined blazers and coats.
Rather than being explicitly recreated, the hanbok uniform is subtly referenced in the clean lines and sleek tailoring, while pool-appropriate, it-shoes of the summer – the Havaianas – crowned the SS26 looks. The collection debuted a special collaboration between OpéraSport and the Brazilian brand, featuring not only Havaianas’ most sought-after models, but also the first-ever, chunky 3D-printed flip flop, created in partnership with footwear technology company Zellerfeld.
“[With this collection], we hope to spread good, positive summer vibes. We feel like this is a really fresh collection, and there’s a strong story behind it,” Gundelach reflects. Stelter adds: “This collection is also a bit more romantic, I would say. But we really need that in the world, so spreading love, peace and harmony, we’re trying to do that.”
See all the looks from OpéraSport’s SS26 collection below.
