Events – Numéro Berlin

INTERVENTION BY REFERENCE STUDIOS SETS THE STAGE FOR BERLIN FASHION WEEK

Anna Klusmeier — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:54:21 +0000

Reference Studios presents the fourth edition of INTERVENTION – a dynamic platform created and curated by the Berlin, Milan, and Paris-based communications agency, led artistically by Founder and CEO Mumi Haiati.

Building on the success of its critically praised winter edition at Kantgaragen in Charlottenburg, INTERVENTION returns this summer featuring innovative formats, landmark runway premieres and a steadfast dedication to strengthening Berlin’s cultural landscape through ambitious, international programming. Showcasing the highest level of design talent yet, the platform continues to expand its influence and visibility, attracting global attention and elevating Berlin’s status as a key player on the international fashion stage.

The program launches with an immersive pop-up by Mowalola at Reference Studios’ P100 space on Potsdamer Straße. Translating her radical design universe into physical form, the British-Nigerian designer makes her Berlin debut with a spatial intervention that reflects her subversive, genre-defying approach to fashion. The pop-up will be open to the public from July 2 to July 4.

INTERVENTION takes over the landmark Palais am Funkturm with a full-day runway program.

LUEDER returns for a third season, joined by UGG.
David Koma unveils his first-ever menswear presentation.
GmbH returns with their signature fusion of sharp tailoring and courageous storytelling.
Ottolinger, long one of Berlin’s most boundary-pushing labels, stages their first runway show in the city.

LUEDER, David Koma, and GmbH are all recipients of the Berlin Contemporary award, presented by the Senate Department for Economic Affairs and Fashion Council Germany, led by Christiane Arp.

The series concludes with a special dinner celebrating Sinéad O’Dwyer, winner of the 2025 Zalando Visionary Award. Hosted in one of Berlin’s leading galleries, the evening includes an exclusive preview of her latest collection, staged through a striking Shibari performance. The event marks both the closing chapter of INTERVENTION and Zalando’s ongoing commitment to innovative approaches to fashion.

INTERVENTION is supported by the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Entreprises, as part of the official Berlin Fashion Week calendar. With special thanks to State Secretary Michael Biel.

Numéro Berlin and 7 For All Mankind Celebrate the Spring/Summer 25 Issue Launch

Anna Klusmeier — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 17:55:26 +0000

Together with 7 For All Mankind at Hôtel Grand Amour, the evening of June 25 turned into a night of pure magic: an atmosphere full of warmth, joy and style, setting the perfect scene for a very special moment.

This issue is all about FIGHT. In the end, if you want peace and if you want love, you have to be a fighter – not someone who fights others, but someone who is willing to fight themselves. Because to be a true lover, you must also be a fighter.

The evening began with an intimate dinner shared at one long table – a menu that celebrated summer with fresh, vibrant dishes, all rounded off with a delicious Mousse au Chocolat. But what made the night unforgettable were the people, the creatives, friends, and contributors who brought this issue to life and joined us to celebrate its release. Dressed in 7 For All Mankind, DJs Chuck Black, Curls and Usman Bin Latif set the tone for the night with their sets.

We were thrilled to welcome our cover stars Destroy Lonely, along with Aus Taylor, Maggie Maurer (featured on the 7 For All Mankind cover), Nicole Atieno, Debra Shaw, Salehe and Jacob Rott with the Elevator Boys. One of the highlights: Josh Landau playing his guitar on top of the dessert table.

After dinner, the night flowed seamlessly into our Launch Party – with drinks from the Bookbar, dancing and an atmosphere that felt effortlessly alive. Captured through the lens of photographer Luna Jusseau, every moment glowed with that unique Parisian light. From Jim Jarmusch, André Saraiva, Diamant Blazi and Shuzo – an inspiring mix of personalities and creatives filled the room. Seeing our new issue in the hands of friends and family brought this special moment to life. A truly unforgettable evening – Numéro Berlin, in full celebration mode.

FKA TWIGS AT TELEKOM ELECTRONIC BEATS’ 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Anna Klusmeier — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:47:55 +0000

On May 28th, Telekom Electronic Beats celebrated 25 years of cultural influence with a spectacular event at Berlin’s iconic CANK venue. The space in Neukölln transformed into a pulsating hub of community, sound, and movement, marking the anniversary with performances from FKA twigs and Boys Noize in front of an international crowd.

FKA twigs made her German debut of Eusexua Rave alongside DJ Dr. Rubinstein. The performance was brief but intense: A fusion of electronic music, live vocals, and intimate moments that dissolved the distance between artist and audience.

The night unfolded with diverse sonic landscapes: Boys Noize delivered a powerful, electrifying set, Fuffifufzich impressed with raw, dynamic live energy and Wolfram mixed Italo, disco, and electro with refined elegance. The evening’s rich program was rounded out by sets from collectives E.P.I.Q. and Layers (bae2bae), making for a varied and sophisticated musical journey.

The entire night was visually documented by Cobrasnake (Mark Hunter), capturing every contrast from sweat-drenched bodies to hypnotic strobe lights.

More than a celebration of Telekom Electronic Beats’ 25-year legacy, the event was a vivid glimpse into the future of music and pop culture, a testament to the lasting power of community and connection on the dancefloor.

The Freedom to Dream: La Verrière at Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

Anna Klusmeier — Thu, 22 May 2025 09:14:30 +0000

La Verrière, the exhibition space of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès in Brussels, opened its new show “Aster” in dedication to French-Danish artist Eva Nielsen. It is the first international solo exhibition of the renowned artist, who was recently nominated for the 2025 Marcel Duchamp Prize, and features works by object-sculpture designer Arnaud Eubelen and Charlotte Posenenske. It is the eighth show that curator Joël Riff has worked on for the mesmerizing foundation space in Brussels.

Anyone who missed the opportunity to visit the light-filled space of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès in Brussels now has something new on their to-do and must-visit list: Accessible only through its store, La Verrière attracts visitors at the very end of the boutique, a hidden, dreamy glass house founded in 2000 to support contemporary creation and artists. When we enter the space, it is hard to decide where to find beauty first: in the perfect natural sunlight performance, the stunning three main works facing the visitor’s eyes upon entering, or in the vast new definition of conventional perspectives they invite us to explore. For more than 15 years, fine artist Eva Nielsen has been experimenting with the dimensions of space. Her work depicts the world in all its strata, piercing, stretching, and turning perspectives upside down, expanding our sense of vastness. In her new show “Aster,” she combines painting, photography, and screen printing to explore objects in space and reevaluate our perception of images, our view of the landscape, and the standardization of the objects that surround us. The show includes three large-format canvases created specifically for the exhibition, evoking a new, cosmic, enigmatic horizon. Her series is accompanied by works from Arnaud Eubelen, whose pieces are informed by industrial reality and objects emerging from discarded materials. Through this dialogue, which curator Joël Riff says has organically merged from working on Nielsen’s vision for the show, “Aster” opens new dimensions for understanding the work of the international painter. An abstract, minimal sculpture by German artist Charlotte Posenenske adds to the conversation as well. “It was important for us to give a perspective with a historical piece,” says Riff. Charlotte is a pioneer who also became an incredibly powerful socialist of labor.

Exploring the tensions between hand and machine, built space and nature, proximity and distance, these works comment on the idea of freedom and its existential power.

“When Joël invited me, I quickly had the desire to have a work that truly engages with the space, especially in response to the architecture of the glass roof,” explains Eva Nielsen, whose beautiful, high energy is so contagious that I totally forgot about my super early journey. The idea, explains Nielsen, was to create a frontal space in which one immerses oneself. “I was first immersed in the fabric of painting; I think you can feel it through the curiosity even in the color palette among the three main works. We look at landscapes here that are both real and surreal. In other words, there is also the projection of your own landscape, which I am not the master of. The combination of things and the layers allows for a mental combination of your projection.” Riff proudly takes us on a small tour through the show and agrees with Nielsen: “In this space, it is about everyone’s own experience; there is no hierarchy, there is no difference in value between the pleasures we show; this is really essential.” Responding to the idea of things emerging in space, it was also a crucial element for Riff to integrate objects that invite visitors to sit. “It is about the question of freedom and how much furniture also standardizes everyone.”

“Aster” is a powerful statement pushing the boundaries of our sense of vastness; it invites us to take a step back to gain a broader perspective. It creates a beautiful science of light that enables us to float, redefine, and emerge.

A CAMCORDER, SWAROVSKI EARCUFFS AND FLOWERY SCENTS

Anna Klusmeier — Tue, 20 May 2025 15:16:32 +0000

A florist’s shop, one’s eyes unable to rest between colorful blossoms and petals. And in the far back, mounted on a lushly decorated wall: Smartphones, packed with the newest hardware, software and… AI. A phone event at an unusual place. And what’s got any of that to do with flowers?

You see, this year ‘round Motorola didn’t just want to release their usual spec-bumped phones; a few new colors, maybe one or two new AI features, better chip and so on. They’ve got a brand-new strategy for appealing to their customers – with smart, elegant everyday accessories. That means bold colors, elegant materials and an overall lifestyle-fitted user experience. And it’s true, especially the Razr 60 Ultra – their flagship flip-phone – looks and feels incredible. Four distinctive finishes – velvet, leather, wood and plush. Paired with the futuristic feeling screen on the back of the device (or the front, depending on if the phones is open or closed) – surrounding the rear-cameras like an island – it really is an unusually sensational experience.

Other than that, the Razr offers a magnitude of quirky little features. So many in fact, that its appeal quickly shifts away from the grand marketing catchphrases to its more fun-inducing attributes: Its unique camera-features and the way they are integrated into the clamshell style of the device. It was notably fun to play around with the camera’s “Camcorder”-feature. When folded at an 90-degree angle, the smartphone can be held like an old camcorder by the likes of Panasonic or Sony. The whole experience felt quite intuitive, gifting the product a nostalgic quality.

Another type of device that caught my attention were the Moto Buds Loop. These stylish little wireless headphones are meant to be worn as a fashion accessoire, being described by Motorola as “design for your ears”. Bold words. The Loop feature an unusual design by, as the name already suggests, looping around one’s ear, not following the typical in-ear design of most companies. However, what truly sets these apart from other headphones in this category, are the Swarovski-crystals that are glued to the Loop’s rim. Sparkling in bright champagne, they fit the shift in the company’s mindset perfectly. And well, they do look incredibly chic cuffing ‘round someone’s ear, bringing some much-needed fresh air into a product category, whose design philosophy hasn’t really changed since the original AirPods’ release back in 2016.

The final characteristic of the lineup that is worth talking about when it comes to the newly acquired spirit of Motorola is a small quirk of the popular Edge-series of smartphones. Some users might not even notice it, yet subconsciously the Edge 60 Pro knows about the seductive qualities of odors. Immediately upon opening the box, a subtle scent dispenses into the air, filling the room with a blooming aura. What previously was only known from certain post stamps has entered the world of smartphones, how fun! The usefulness of this feature might be debatable, but that’s not the point.

Motorola’s 2025 lineup of products shows a clear evolution in the company’s identity. Over are the days of abiding to industry norms, at least in some relevant aspects. The “buy our product and you will instantly be transformed into a fashion icon”-approach works surprisingly well considering all the thought that went into designing these products to be experienced with all senses. Not only used as a tool. Of course, the Razr, Edge and Loop are way more than just their pretty looks and feels. The latest AI-features, bright screens and good performance all come together to form an easy-to-recommend package, especially if you value the little quirks of life… and appreciate a well thought out user experience.

IN CONVERSATION WITH THE WINNERS OF THE RIMOWA DESIGN PRIZE 2025 IN BERLIN

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 14 May 2025 20:17:46 +0000

Last night, the third Rimowa Design Prize award ceremony took place in the prestigious halls of Berlin’s Gropius Bau – a celebration of German design that supports emerging talent and gives young designers a platform to showcase their innovative work. The annual student competition, judged by a distinguished jury, resulted in seven finalists being honored for their groundbreaking projects.

First prize was awarded to Elisabeth Lorenz and Marc Hackländer from Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, under the mentorship of Nic Galway, for Hottie – a discreet, wearable device that supports people with periods by combining TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) technology with customizable heat therapy.

We spoke to the winners about their project, its importance for equality in daily life, and the mentorship experience through Rimowa.

Ann-Kathrin: What aspect of your project excites you the most – something you’d love to share with us?

Lorenz/Hackländer: It’s just fascinating to explore all these future possibilities – especially those offered by emerging technologies. Thanks to Rimowa we had this incredible opportunity to work with adidas and a small studio here in Berlin, which allowed us to use the potential of 3D knitting. It was a hands-on chance to understand how fabrics are constructed and how knits are formed – and just how complex the programming behind it really is. Even achieving something as simple as a rounded edge can be extremely challenging.

The idea that we can now create something so refined and second-skin-like using this technology – where all components come together in a single knit – is deeply inspiring for us. It’s something we’re excited to keep exploring further.

Comfort likely played a key role in this project, right?

Absolutely – the goal is for Hottie to feel like a true second skin. You shouldn’t even notice you’re wearing it. There’s no discomfort, no restrictions, and no pain thanks to the integrated technology.

In what ways does your project relate to mobility – the theme of this year’s Rimowa Prize?

The fact that no one should be restricted in their mobility during their period addresses a universal issue. Many women and menstruating individuals suffer from this. Simply being able to participate fully in everyday life, at any time, is what true equality really means.

We all know the people who are knocked out for a week and can barely do anything except lie in bed at home. But can you tell us again how the idea originally came about? What was the initial experience?

It all started as part of a university project in ergonomics, where the focus was on healthcare. We were interested in two main aspects. First, the universal experience, which we as designers felt was a great opportunity to find an effective solution. Secondly, being surrounded by fellow students was fantastic because it allowed us to learn, practice, and gather feedback. We could collect input from various people and understand different levels of pain they experienced. I believe it’s these insights that gradually shaped the project. We’re really grateful for that.

Do you get the sense that women’s health in general, which has historically been overlooked, is now starting to receive more attention, especially in terms of technological advancements?

Absolutely, that’s what we hope for. I would say that it’s definitely becoming much more relevant now. And we hope that we’re making a small contribution to that change. We want to inspire even more intelligent, creative individuals to do the same and, in turn, offer support to women who want to live more self-determined lives.

Did you have extensive dialogue with the women who tested Hottie during the development process? If so, what kind of feedback did you receive?

The feedback was incredibly positive, even with the first versions, which were still quite large. Back then, the product didn’t look like something you’d want to buy. The early prototypes were even filled with stones to simulate weight. Despite that, the comfort in that area of the body was always great. Now that the design is sleeker, it’s even better. You almost don’t notice it.

It’s clear that you placed great importance on the design, and that includes the packaging. It carries a lifestyle appeal, making the product feel less like a medical device and more like an object of desire.

That was actually something we’ve recently started focusing on more – a key insight we gained through the Rimowa Prize and our mentor Nic Galway, Senior Vice President of Product Design at adidas. He encouraged us to think beyond the functionality and to create a whole brand experience. The idea is for the product to not feel like a medical device, but something desirable and integrated into a lifestyle. It’s something you don’t just need and use, but actually want to have.