Wiener Staatsoper: Vienna Opera Ball Couture Salon 2025

The prominent jury, chaired by designer Michel Mayer and including Maria Angelini-Santner, opera ball choreographer and Austrian national champion in ballroom dancing, and Thomas Oláh, internationally successful costume designer, unanimously selected the following three fashion designers from over 50 submissions to the Austria-wide designer competition:

The stage was set yesterday at the Hotel Bristol opposite the Vienna State Opera for Dorzh Ayushin, Olga Chapiro and Cindy Fodor. As different as the more than 50 submitted creations, design ideas and CVs were, the final result is harmonious. Before the "Ball of Balls" on February 27, 2025, the winners will officially present their creations in cooperation with the principal dancers of the Vienna State Ballet at the Opera Ball Couture Salon on January 31 at the Hotel Bristol.

Until then, there is still a lot of sewing, tinkering and fitting to be done. After all, a total of twelve gowns for the outstanding ballet dancers Ioanna Avraam, Elena Bottaro, Sonia Dvořák, Olga Esina, Kiyoka Hashimoto, Rebecca Horner, Hyo-Jung Kang, Liudmila Konovalova, Aleksandra Liashenko, Ketevan Papava and Claudine Schoch have to be adapted for this occasion in just a few weeks and some even made to measure.

Born in the Republic of Buryatia (Russia), Dorzh Ayushin began attending art school at the age of 8 and showed a keen interest in art at an early age - a path that shaped his later educational and career decisions. After studying architecture in Tomsk, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he gained his first professional experience as an architect. At the age of 22, he continued his studies in Vienna, where he broadened his creative horizons. Dorzh's education influences the brand's creations, making it possible to look at design from a different angle, as he believes that fashion and architecture are two closely related fields. Both deal with structure, design, form, flow and the interaction between color and material.

"It is a great honor for me to be able to present my creations and the culture of my homeland, the Republic of Buryatia, at the Vienna Opera Ball. Being one of the three winners of the competition is a valuable recognition of my work and my efforts to enrich the Austrian fashion scene and make it more diverse. "

In 2014, designer Olga Chapiro founded her fashion brand Laskari, which now counts fans from opera, stage and politics among its clientele. Laskari dresses, which are all made in Vienna, are a combination of the best classic Viennese traditions, Italian textile quality and current fashion trends. The focus is always on attention to detail, emphasizing femininity and the special individuality of the wearer.

"I am very grateful to be recognized among two other such great Austrian designers for such an event. Furthermore, it gives me the feeling of being part of a team that organizes such a beautiful and meaningful event as the Vienna Opera Ball. We are lucky to be "behind the scenes" and get to know all the wonderful and talented people. All in all, it's a fantastic opportunity to be able to present my designs in this setting of art and culture that I value so much."

The multi-talented Cindy Fodor combines the worlds of fashion design, science and technology. Instead of completing an internship in a tailor shop or fashion atelier, she opted for an internship in a makerspace after her fashion training, where she learned 3D modeling, 3D printing and different laser cutting methods. In recent years, she has immersed herself in the fields of material development and design and has deepened her knowledge in Milan.

"This win is very important to me because it gives me the opportunity to show my work to a wider audience and at the same time prove that technology and science have a place in fashion. I'm really looking forward to this challenge and can't wait to present my designs on the red carpet."