Latest news with #ReferenceStudios
Forbes
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
David Koma's SS26 menswear show was one of the most talked about collections at Berlin Fashion Week
DAVID KOMA'S Runway Show Berlin Fashion Week SS26 by Reference Studios at Palais am FunkturmDavid Koma's Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show was never going to be quiet, but by choosing Berlin he nodded to the direction his menswear brand David Koma will take — full of verve and packed with subcultural references. At Berlin Fashion Week Koma took over Bruno Grimmek and Werner Düttmann's 1957 Palais am Funkturm for the Intervention initiative run by buzzy PR agency Reference Studios, an invite scheme for designers backed by funding from the German Fashion Council. His collection I Love David was a sharp blend of ego, irony, and iconography. England player David Beckham on his mobile phone at the launch of the Adidas 'I kiss Football' ... More campaign at adidas HQ in Stockport on March 15, 2001 . (Photo Gary M Prior/Allsport/Getty Images)For Koma, at the helm of Blumarine as creative director and known for bringing body-conscious evening wear into mid-2000s culture, his Berlin debut linked his love for Y2K that run through his throwback designs at Blumarine with a playful riff on the concept of David, from Beckham to the designer himself. The Intervention program gave Koma the opportunity to be eccentric with the concept of a muse. His collection zoned in on three Davids—David Beckham, Michelangelo's David, and David Koma. Beckham brought back classic 1990s headline moments— low-slung jeans, crystal-trimmed tanks, and a tongue-in-cheek rhinestone tee nodding to the footballer's iconic 'I Kiss Football' moment. Michelangelo's David counterbalanced this with draped marble-like tops, lace aprons rendered in crochet, and souvenir-shop camp reimagined as high fashion while Koma's own trademarks of tailoring, sculptural flourishes and sex appeal anchored the collection. Here he talks to Grace Banks about building a namesake brand that's both personal and commercial, the return of sex to the runway and maintaining a decades-long career in a rapidly evolving industry. DAVID KOMA Runway Show Berlin Fashion Week SS26 by Reference Studios at Palais am Funkturm, Berlin You're only a couple of seasons into you new menswear line, how does it feel like to show your spring 2026 collection in Berlin? You know, I consider myself both the customer and a creator of I Love David. I've never approached collections with that perspective before and it feels personal again. Showing in Berlin, a city I respect on so many levels, makes that choice even more personal. One of the most important things for me is that I would enjoy the moment, because very often things that I do, they're amazing, but I need to wait a day or two or a week just to kind of digest it all. I told myself I would enjoy the moment more this do you enjoy the moment? I've really tried to be present in every single part of the experience and not just the show, from sourcing material to the model castings. During the show, and even now talking to you, I really feel calm, happy and relaxed. So I do enjoy centered the collection on three Davids—including yourself! I'm a huge fan of David Beckham and his iconic style throughout so many decades. So I always had him on the mood board, and the more time passed it became clear how symbolic the name David is for me. My favorite sculpture is Michaelangelo's David. And then there's me, I'm in good did you work those very different David personas into a coherent collection? The draping, broaches and tailoring mixe the classical with contemporary. Then there is this whole kind of paparazzi era with the diamanté and the jeans. The models were wearing my glasses, that unified the whole look. Then there's a few signatures of this collection— the garter detail that we had over the couple of trousers. I wanted to add these spikes of sex and glamour so there are flower broaches inspired by KOMA Runway Show Berlin Fashion Week SS26 by Reference Studios at Palais am Funkturm, Berlin The lace apron is a reference to those aprons you get in Florence with Michelangelo's David on, but you wanted to elevate the materials. What was that process like? Yes it started with that, you know the lacy tourist aprons you get all over Florence. But I applied this really elevated technique, which is like a silk crochet by hand. It's very couture, but still staying true to the touristy souvenirs from Florence. So I thought, have a sense of humour—keep the basic shape but make the texture there similarities between the David Koma woman and man? The man is more edgy, like the guys in Berlin. The woman is glamourous—glamorous women love to date grungy guys so it works!You launched your namesake label in 2009 and joined Blumarine as creative director in 2024, one of the buzziest brands on the market now. How have you stayed so nimble and made sure your creative vision was in the market over the years? You need to obsessed you really do. Access and opportunity are key too. Obsession really is essential. With what, trust me, you'll be successful.
Vogue
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Ottolinger Berlin Spring 2026 Collection
Home team, come on through! Ottolinger's Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient might both be Swiss, but their hearts and heads reside (quite literally) in Berlin. And finally, after years of showing in Paris, they staged their first-ever show in their adoptive city, just in time for their 10th anniversary. 'We've learned that it's easier to do a show in the place you actually live, where your studio is,' said Gadient, laughing. Unsurprisingly, there was quite the crowd in the house to support them, with the Ottolingers presenting at the Palais am Funktrum, the final show of the day in the Intervention day of shows curated by creative and communications agency Reference Studios. And the minute Kim Petras did a swaggering stomp of a walk around the snaking runway to get the proceedings going, dressed in a shrunken print sweater and a shrunken pair of shorts, accessorized with visor-like shades on her face, and knit leather booties strapped onto tottering curved wooden chopine heels, we were off to a flying start. This was a good collection from Ottolinger, strong on conviction; since it started, the label had this unbreakable alliance with young women that Ottolinger is a safe space for them, where you can look as cool/hot/unvarnishedly yourself as much as you want. This time round, the collection was a celebration of big sisterhood, how, said Gadient, 'we are both big sisters and we love being that role model; showing you how not to fail, because we already failed for you; that we're here to support you in all that you do to succeed. So the clothes are playful, freer.' That's the connecting part. The clothing part was a reminder of how much they've established their own look, and followed the beat of their own drum, this past decade. That means messed up, conceptualized denim, perhaps slicked up and sliced apart, or artisanal knits patched and pieced together, or sportif pieces, where athleticism (hoodies, track pants) are given a sharp, generationally appropriate jolt of sexiness. With this collection's tough weathered leather blousons swinging away from the body, and the billowing skirts that look like they'd started life as anoraks, as well as outdoors-y shoulder-strapped utility jackets that actually could be anoraks, not to mention tough-luxe bags such as the capacious shoulder purse suspended from a strap akin to a studded punky belt (Gadient and Bösch have a sharp eye for original-looking accessories), the general effect was as if a Berghain clubber had come out blinking into the blinding daylight, and headed off into the countryside, but without bothering to change their clothes. 'We had wanted to bring back our crafty side,' said Bösch of the collection's vibe. 'So there's more texture, more deconstruction.' There was also the first glimpse—a tease, they called it—of their Nike collaboration, which will likely land in 2026. Take a look at their swoosh-emblazoned micro sports bras and cut-out bodysuits, and consider yourself teased.
Fashion United
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion United
Mowalola opens first Berlin pop-up for Fashion Week
Mowalola takes its first step in brick and mortar retail in Germany. The brand is opening a pop-up in Berlin for Berlin Fashion Week. The Nigerian-British designer Mowalola Ogunlesi's brand is opening a temporary space for the first time. It debuts at Berlin Fashion Week, Mowalola announced on Wednesday. At the P100 event location, the brand presents a curated selection of archive pieces. It also offers a first look at the upcoming AW25 mini-capsule collection. Mowalola pop-up in Berlin Credits: Harry Miller / Reference Studios Mowalola pop-up in Berlin Credits: Harry Miller / Reference Studios The pop-up is part of the fashion and culture programme "Intervention". This is run by the Berlin PR agency Reference Studios. The SS26 shows of the internationally successful brands Lueder, GmbH, David Koma and Ottolinger are also part of the programme. The fashion shows all take place on July 2. Mowalola's temporary space is open until July 4. Mowalola pop-up in Berlin Credits: Harry Miller / Reference Studios Mowalola pop-up in Berlin Credits: Harry Miller / Reference Studios Mowalola is known for its unconventional and revealing looks. These represent a mix of Nigerian youth culture and the London underground scene. In doing so, Ogunlesi questions norms and redefines gender roles. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
