Twenty-four-year-old Doris Lenarčič from the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb created Modular Symphony, an outfit that translates architecture into motion. Inspired by the Sydney Opera House, she transforms its structuralist aesthetic into a wearable form — a suit that is both constructive and poetic. Her goal was to capture the essence of the building, its rhythmic lightness and the tension between line and surface, and to interpret fashion as walkable architecture.
The design consists of modular elements connected by visible zippers. These serve a dual purpose: they are both a design feature and a mechanism. Individual modules can be removed, recombined, or adjusted, allowing the wearer to become an active part of the design process. The result is a transformable garment that oscillates between sculpture and function.
“I wanted to create a design as alive as the Sydney Opera House itself, something that changes, moves, and breathes. Architecture that can be worn,” says Doris Lenarčič.
For the realization, she combines laser-cut techniques, embroidery machine work, and printed fabrics. The precisely laser-cut patterns reference the geometric structure of the opera house, while fine embroidery translates its iconic shell roofs into textile textures. The fabric is treated to balance structure and fluidity, stiff enough to hold architectural shapes yet flexible enough to move harmoniously with the body.
Sustainability is a key part of the project. Doris Lenarčič uses environmentally friendly materials, focuses on energy-efficient production, and designs the suit as a circular system — modular, repairable, and expandable. This approach extends the garment’s life cycle and unites technological innovation with responsible design. Clothing thus becomes space, structure, and movement, a textile interpretation of architecture and transformation.
