The fourth edition of the Reference Festival took place in Berlin last weekend. This time the fashion and culture event of the PR agency Reference Studios was not held during the fashion week but the Gallery Weekend.
In the middle of Kurfürstendamm between the Galeria and C&A stores there is a gap in the facade. Under the name ‘Pop’, several containers are set up next to and on top of each other, which fit perfectly with the alternative vibe of the event.
Already on Friday evening, mostly young people were queuing in front of the location, while colorful lights were shining from inside and electronic music was being played by various DJs and djanes – this almost gave the impression that Berlin had gotten a new, hip club .
‘insomnia’
The theme of the issue was ‘Insomnia’ and “reflected the state of a world in flux,” the announcement said. Installations, exhibitions, performances, workshops, screenings and live panels dealt with the topic in various ways. “Unrest means change. And while change is inevitable, Reference Festival aims for the positive. Troubled times stimulate creativity and actually lead to new solutions for the future.”
This change also includes digital progress, which became part of the festival in various program items. This included the space of the Institute of Digital Fashion, which presented digital fashion designs on several screens on the upper floor of the location. Of course, NFTs were also part of the program. Domingo x Sita previewed the collaborative NFT collection, which will launch on May 9th.
Rare tracks: Highsnobiety, Slam Jam and Vestiaire Collective at the festival
But the first highlight was already waiting in front of Pop’s doors: the trendy streetwear magazine Highsnobiety, which also has a seat in the German capital, presented a capsule in a single container with Milan’s Bar Basso, which also took care of the catering in Pop and poured out Italian beer and Aperol Spritz to the reveling crowd. The pop-up container for the capsule was appropriately decorated like an Italian bar with a chandelier, wood paneling and baroque wallpaper.
But fashion retailers Slam Jam and Vestiaire Collective were also there. The Italian streetwear retailer Slam Jam presented a selection from its own archive for the first time in Berlin. French second-hand platform Vestiaire Collective exhibited some special pieces, including collaborations by Louis Vuitton with Yayoi Kusama, as well as Alexander McQueen and Damien Hirst. The exhibited pieces were also offered for sale using a QR code.
For those on a tighter budget, there was the option of having your T-shirt screen printed and recycled by the international artist collective ‘Live From Earth’ – the basic pieces could not have been bought new.
morning exercise
For those who were up early on Saturday, there were already the first items on the agenda. It started with a talk between the artists Hans Ulrich Obrist and Luki von der Gracht. This was followed by a running event by the Swiss sportswear brand On Running, where selected galleries from the Gallery Weekend were run. There was also the opportunity to take part in a meditative round before continuing in the afternoon with further performances, workshops, screenings, etc.
‘Gucci x Blau International’ event
While the event, funded by the Berlin Senate for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, was open to the public by prior registration and attracted more than 2,000 visitors on both days, Reference Studios was also involved in a gallery weekend party for Gucci and the art magazine Blau International, which was held in a smaller circle. The Berlin PR agency posted the party pictures on Instagram, which featured guests such as Christoph Amend, Editorial Director at Zeit Magazin, TV presenter Palina Rojinski and stylist Marc Goehring. The Italian fashion house confirmed the event at the request of FashionUnited.
This post was supplemented with footage from Gucci on May 6th at 4pm.