CREATE YOUR GARDEROBE WITH THE OPIAN SEWING PATTERNS AND KITS.
The brand
Opian is an independent Swiss brand of sewing patterns and kits founded in 2016 by Chloé Masson. Thanks to Opian sewing patterns, you can design a unique and personalised wardrobe, where only your imagination is the limit.
Opian sewing patterns are designed to be accessible to beginners while offering interesting sewing techniques for more experienced sewists. Among the collection, swimsuit sewing patterns, such as the well-known PILATUS model, are particularly popular.
Recently, original sewing kits have joined the range. You can find swimsuit and hat boxes that contain everything you need to make your garment (instructions, elastic, lining, etc.), except for the sewing machine! Each fabric included in the kits is carefully curated for you and comes from deadstocks of Swiss swimwear brands, finds from encounters or travels, as well as fabrics created by Geneva textile illustrator Akikosmood.
A little flashback, in 2008 Opian began as a ready-to-wear label and a sewing workshop which offered mini-collections, unique pieces and tailor-made items. Following the popularity of DIY sewing in recent years, Opian has reoriented itself towards the creation of sewing patterns. However, you can still find some pieces such as organic cotton t-shirts, leather clutches or even necklaces in the online store.
The designer
After having studied fashion design-pattern making-sewing at the Laura-L school in Lausanne, I (Chloé Masson) started summer courses at Central Saint Martins in London in order to discover new cutting techniques, as well as new ways of working.
I then did an internship in a fashion design workshop in Geneva. In 2008, I launched the ready-to-wear and tailor-made brand Opian. A few months later, I decided to settle in London and worked, among other things and while continuing my personal artistic activity, as a production coordinator for the high-end ready-to-wear brand Helene Berman.
Back in French-speaking Switzerland, after more than five years spent in London, I continue my journey in the world of fashion and sewing DIY.
The values
The experience I have gained over the years has allowed me to understand the workings of the fashion industry. It was this behind-the-scenes knowledge of the industry that led me to re-evaluate the way the fashion world served the public and inspired me to create a way for people to escape the spiral of fast fashion while staying on trend.
Making clothes raises awareness of the work put in and the material used for each piece. People who have been sewing for a long time or who have recently taken up sewing are more aware of the true value of an item of clothing. Taking the time to think about the model you want, sourcing the fabric and materials, and spending several hours creating a piece makes you rethink your way of consuming. It is for this approach that sewing your own clothes and Opian are part of the slow fashion movement.
Opian also wants to be an ambassador of craftsmanship. Handmade, the work with materials, the thoughtfulness of each project are values dear to the brand. Indeed, over time and industrialisation during the last century, we have lost the know-how of many artisanal methods. This is why Opian wants to make people want to take out their sewing machine and start creating their own wardrobe again.