The stylist and co-founder of OpéraSport takes us through her life essentials – from her beauty must-haves to the painting her husband gifted her during pregnancy
Welcome to our series "Take five" featuring inspiring Scandinavian tastemakers on the five life-enhancing items, habits or encounters that help guarantee a balanced, joy-filled life.
For Stephanie Gundelach there were two major moments in her life that really changed the course of things. One of them was meeting her husband, the Danish handball star Mikkel Hansen, and the other one was meeting her future business partner: Awa Malina Stelter. After a chance conversation between the pair in 2019, just three months later, OpéraSport was born.
At the time Gundelach was on maternity leave, living between Copenhagen and Paris. Drawing on a mixture of Parisian timelessness and Danish nonchalance, the label offers elegant, yet edgy wardrobe staples characterised by geographical lines, artistic prints, and seductive details all rooted in a sustainable approach.
But running a business can be busy. And like most of us, Gundelach looks to her life essentials to keep her on track. Below, she gives us a glimpse into what elevates her every day, and the five things she just really can’t do without:
Her Parisian memories
“Living in Paris for four years has undeniably changed my life. There are so many memories that I will treasure in my heart – especially getting proposed to with this beautiful ring.
“Parisians are the chicest people on the planet. My style changed a lot after moving there: I started to value timeless and elegant pieces. My daily uniform would be a pair of vintage jeans, a T-shirt and a nice blazer. The effortless elegance that Parisian women have is something we always keep in mind, and get inspired by, at OpéraSport."
Finding the right business partner
Photo: Tine Bek
“Three years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I took a break from working as a stylist and so had some time to reflect. I had always dreamt about starting my own brand – I felt ready for it – but I knew I needed the right partner who had both the knowledge and the experience within a business that I didn’t know much about. My good friend had just started dating Awa, and so we hung out a lot. We quickly found out that we shared the same dream, and soon, we realised that we would be a business match made in heaven.
“We came up with OpéraSport when sipping coffee. Three months later, our first collection launched. We had never dreamt of how quickly we would grow – especially during the pandemic – and we would never have thought that we would get to where we are today. I’m forever grateful for meeting Awa. And watching the team grow gives me lots of energy – even if my kids have kept me up all night.”
My beauty saviour
“Being a mother to two very active little boys, I know a lot about looking tired. I have tried a lot of face masks and this one from Dr. Barbara Sturm makes a difference. Especially if I scrub my face with Rudolph Care’s Acai Facial Scrub first. It’s like my skin drinks up all the hydration it can in the 15 minutes that it’s on. It might sound crazy to call it life-changing, but as a working mother, you tend to forget to take care of yourself, and putting this mask on a few times a week feels like a mini spa. It reminds me to relax and take care of myself.”
My love of Danish design
Photo: Griegst
“Danish design has always played a big role throughout my life; certain chairs and cutlery make me nostalgic and remind me of my childhood. When we were living in Paris, we surrounded ourselves with a lot of Danish furniture to feel even more at home.
“I gave my husband some Griegst cutlery for our anniversary; I love eating my oatmeal with our kids in the morning with a beautifully designed spoon. It’s the small things which elevate the everyday. I hope I can pass it on to my children one day, who can then pass it on to their children. And hopefully they will feel nostalgic later seeing it and remember eating oatmeal with me.”
My children
“This small painting, by the artist Richard Colman, was a gift from my husband when I was pregnant with our firstborn child. The woman depicted in it is reflecting on the present state of the world. It reminds me of life before kids, which feels like light years ago. I know that this hectic life with small children is just a phase, and even though some days can feel like survival mode, this painting reminds me to be grateful and enjoy each moment. I know that one day it will get easier.”