The love of fabric

Maiken Kloser: First Dress at the Opera Ball

Designer Maiken Kloser inherited her enthusiasm for fabrics from home.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

This year, Vorarlberg designer Maiken Kloser is dressing the organizer Susanne Athanasiadis for the society event of the year, the Vienna Opera Ball. 

It is the event of the year in Austria: the Vienna Opera Ball not only attracts over 5,000 people to the State Opera House on the magnificent Ringstrasse, but also thousands and thousands in front of the screens. This is the best place to keep track of the opening polonaise, box visitors and the scramble for appetizers at the buffet. Maiken Kloser will be right in the middle of the hustle and bustle this year. Last year, the designer was one of the finalists in the ballroom's own "couture salon" competition and dressed the ballerinas back then. This year, her fashion is in demand again - namely from ball organizer Susanne Athanasiadis. "She really liked my designs back then, and this year she approached me and asked me to design a dress for her," she explains.

Dots, dots, dots - or not?
What the gown will look like is an extremely well-kept secret that will only be revealed on Thursday at the Feststiege. But it could have something to do with dots, says Maiken, as this theme already aroused the interest of the ball organizer last year.

Maiken will also be at the ball - unsurprisingly, she will be wearing her own design: a stunning, off-the-shoulder, pleated dress with a geometric look. She is keen to dust off ball fashion. "I want to get away from the box-of-chocolates style. I want my dresses to convey an emancipated image of women. I don't want my customers to feel dressed up like a chandelier." This also applies to the bridal fashion that Maiken makes. The items should look modern and fresh, not antiquated or conform to an outdated label.

Next stop: Vienna, then Bregenz
She gets her inspiration primarily from the materials she works with. She also travels for this. She found the fabric for her own opera ball dress in Spain, for example.

Speaking of travel: Maiken and her studio are moving soon. From Hohenems to Bregenz, where she will move into a new store together with Eva-Katharina Heerdegen: A studio and concept store in one. Her next stop, however, will be Vienna - including a glamorous appearance at the State Opera.