IN CONVERSATION WITH HEATHER KEMESKY AND IMRE VAN OPSTAL

words by MAREK BARTEK 

Love rarely arrives the way we expect it to. Sometimes it unfolds slowly, shaped by time, distance and chance encounters. For choreographer IMRE VAN OPSTAL and model HEATHER KEMESKY, love is something that evolves — shaped by companionship, tenderness, creativity and the daily act of choosing each other.

MAREK BARTEK
Do you believe in love at first sight?

IMRE VAN OPSTAL
Yes, I do. I think sometimes you meet someone and something in you just knows — even before logic has a chance to catch up. It’s not something you can explain properly. It’s a pull, an energy, a kind of quiet certainty. With Heather, there was a moment where everything shifted. Even though we had known each other before as friends, I suddenly saw her differently, and it felt immediate, almost like the world sharpened around her.

For me, love isn’t just butterflies. It’s about recognising that they are going to matter in a way no one else has. Love is companionship. It’s having a partner in crime, someone you can see yourself growing old with or making a family with. And that’s something I hadn’t really felt with other partners, but I do feel it with Heather. For me, that is the biggest love I can feel.

HEATHER KEMESKY
I believe in love at first sight, but at the same time, love is such a big word. Sometimes it feels more like a deep recognition you can’t quite put your finger on. Maybe it’s something you don’t fully understand right away.

With us, it was interesting because we had known each other before. When we crossed paths again, years later, we were both in different places in our lives, and there was a shift — a moment where I became aware of a deeper connection forming. It felt familiar and meaningful in a way that took me by surprise. That’s when I started to feel that maybe love at first sight isn’t always immediate, but rather something that reveals itself over time.

dress ALAÏA

MB
When you look back at the beginning of your relationship and compare it to now, how has your perception of love changed?

IVO
In the beginning, it felt electric. Very instinctive, very alive — like something had been set in motion and there was no way of stopping it. Now, that same love has expanded. It’s still there, that initial spark, but it has roots. It’s become something I can stand on. Love stretches into something deeper, something more resilient.|
So when I look back, I don’t feel like our love has changed completely. It rather feels like it grew up. That first moment was the ignition, but what we have now is a fire that keeps burning steady, strong and impossible to ignore — and I love it!

HK
The more time you spend together, especially when you live together, you start seeing each other from different angles. You learn to love and accept everything about that person. When you’re really in love with someone, you love them for every little part of who they are — the good and the bad. And you get to experience all of those things.
I also think people don’t always give relationships enough time. The moment they see a flaw, they run. Relationships now sometimes feel a bit like scrolling — that’s not cute enough, let’s move on to the next one. But I think relationships become the most beautiful when you go the long haul together.

IVO
You also learn the most about yourself when you are mirrored by someone else, by your partner. It’s about accepting them for who they are but also healing at the same time. You confront your biggest fears in a relationship. And getting through those together is really powerful.

HEATHER
full look HERMÈS

IMRE
full look RAMI AL ALI COUTURE

MB
Do you believe you need to love yourself first before you can love someone else?

IVO
I do. But again, it also goes both ways. Some people enter relationships because they don’t love themselves and need validation from someone else in order to feel loved. I’m not always sure that’s the healthiest thing, because no one should carry the responsibility of making you a happy person in life. In the end, you’re standing alone in this life. You live alone and you die alone — even though we have the support and love of others. So I do believe there needs to be some love for yourself in order to be able to give that back to someone else.

HK
One hundred percent. I realised that through my own life. Even if you only have a little bit of self-love, it helps you realise that you deserve something good. If you don’t have that, you can end up repeating unhealthy patterns. But there’s also another side to it. I do believe you can love someone else and help heal a broken person too. Sometimes people just need love.

IVO
Sometimes it only takes one person to help you see that you are worthy and that you are loved. And once you feel loved, you can start finding that love for yourself.

MB
You both work in creative fields. Most people don’t enter those industries for money but because they genuinely love creating. Would you say your work is a form of self-love?

IVO
If I relate it to myself as a dancer, I started doing what I do purely from joy and love for the craft. I’m not sure if that’s directly connected to self-love, but doing something you love deeply does bring something positive back to yourself.
At the same time, it’s not always pleasurable. As dancers, we were criticised and compared constantly. You’re judged on your body, your performance, your opportunities. There are days when I don’t love myself that much, and work brings me back up. And there are days when work goes badly, and that affects how I feel about myself. It constantly shifts. It can be a harsh world — but also the most beautiful world.

HK
In fashion it can be very intense. There’s so much comparison, especially if you start at a young age. If you don’t have self-love, the industry can tear you apart because you’re constantly comparing your body, face, height — everything — to others. It’s dysmorphia in all directions, so having some sense of self-love is really important. 
At the same time, there are also beautiful moments of collaboration where you create something incredible with other people. But there are definitely moments where the industry doesn’t feel very loving. When creativity really flows and everyone brings something to the table, that’s when it lights up.

HEATHER
dress BALENCIAGA
jewelry CARTIER

IMRE
jumpsuit ALAÏA

MB
When you hit moments of frustration or feel like you’ve hit a wall, what keeps you going?

IVO
I think you need a certain kind of obsession to survive as an artist — not a destructive one, but something that keeps pulling you back in, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s an obsession with detail, with precision, with getting closer to something you can’t fully reach. When I hit a wall, it’s usually because I’m trying to control too much. And strangely, what helps me move forward is the exact opposite: letting go. 
There’s a point where you’ve pushed as far as you can, and the only way through is to surrender. The process can be quite brutal. You doubt everything, you feel stuck, you question why you’re even doing it. But I’ve learned that those moments are part of it; they’re not a sign to stop, they’re a sign you’ve gone deep enough.
What keeps me going is the trust that something will open up again. And when it does, when you find that flow, it feels almost euphoric. It reminds you why you endure all the difficult parts.

HK
For me, it’s also about reinventing yourself — those little rebirths in the industry. As I get older, I want to inspire younger generations. I once did a shoot where I posed nude because I thought, in 50 years I’ll look back and think, wow, I looked amazing then, even if I didn’t feel that way at the time.
I also get messages from people saying our relationship inspires them, especially queer couples in places where they don’t have the freedom to be themselves. Sharing parts of our life can give someone hope, and that means a lot.

full look GIVENCHY BY SARAH BURTON

full look JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

MB
What kinds of projects are you working on these days that really spark a sense of joy and excitement to share them with the world? 

IVO
I’ve just finished working in Holland on a production with Nederlands Dans Theater, which is right now touring within the Netherlands. We also have a new creation coming with Ballet BC in Vancouver, and then, until around 2028, there are a few other projects scheduled.
Theatre work often feels like it’s constantly happening and being scheduled, but what excites me the most are the projects that appear in between — the unexpected ones that come out of nowhere and end up being something completely different. Right now, I’m mostly looking forward to what’s around the corner next.

HK
For me, this year is really about new and different collaborations. I recently signed with a new agent in Paris, and we really understand each other. He sees me in a way that feels very supportive, and he’s been such a cheerleader, so I’m excited to see what direction we go in this year. I’m also planning to return to photography more seriously, so that’s something I’m looking forward to picking up again and doing much more of.

IMRE
full look ISSEY MIYAKE

HEATHER
stockings MAISON MARGIELA
necklace CARTIER

MB
Do you feel like you get inspired by each other’s work and bring the other person into your own creative process or the final result? 

IVO
Absolutely! I’m very inspired by Heather — the way she carries herself, the joy she brings into everything. Sometimes I talk about my work with her, and it makes me see things differently. She’ll immediately jump on the computer and start researching ideas or drawing things. She’s always creating or doing a lot of inspiring things both on a personal and on a creative level.

HK
In a relationship, being each other’s number one cheerleader is really important. Imre inspires me endlessly. She works incredibly hard and busts her ass for weeks at a time but still gives me her time, even when she has almost none. Time is the most precious thing you can give someone.

full look RAMI AL ALI COUTURE

MB
What is your favourite thing about each other?

HK
Oh, the list could be endless. Personality-wise, she’s my falcon — so focused, intuitive, and unwavering when she sets her mind on something. There is such a strength in her that’s balanced by a real depth of feeling, and I really admire that.

IVO
Heather is my cheetah. She’s fast and fearless. When she sets her sights on something, she goes for it, but always in a delicate, egoless way. She’s like a feather in the sky, moving with the wind.

MB
What does love mean to you?

HK
Love shouldn’t be complicated. Love is what we came into this universe to feel.

IVO
If you strip everything away from life and remove love, what’s left? Nothing. I don’t think love can really be explained with words. We can all feel it, but what it feels like is something each of us knows only inside ourselves.

HK
Love is everything. We come into the world with it, and we leave with it. If we don’t live with love while we’re here, we have nothing.

dress ALAÏA

TEAM CREDITS:

talents IMRE VAN OPSTAL & HEATHER KEMESKY
photography & creative direction TAREK MAWAD
styling JOANA DACHEVILLE
makeup MARIA EHRLICH
hair OLIVIER DE VRIENDT at THE WALL GROUP
nails CECILIA ABBAS
executive producer AHMAD LARNES at AML PRODUCTION
set design WIEBKE MARIE VON BREMEN & MARCUS VINICIUS DE QUEIROZ
digi tech SOPHIE CHRIST
photography assistance SANTI HENDRIX
styling assistance MATEO FERREIRA
makeup assistance IMANE EL OMARI
location MARIA STUDIO
studio assistance KIKI
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview MAREK BARTEK
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN