Static Collapse and Breaking Better – Kilian Smits Unplugging the Amp
No plan. No styling team. Just Kilian Smits, as he was that day. Captured by Isha van Dijk, this series isn't about fashion or spectacle. It's about showing up without apology. About existing, unedited. A quiet kind of rebellion that doesn’t ask to be understood — only witnessed.
Y2K has a younger sibling – kidcore. As the lines between fashion, fandom, and childhood blur, a new wave of nostalgia is sweeping Gen Z and Millennials alike. Plush toys like Pop Mart’s Labubu, Baby Threes, and Cry Babys aren’t just collectibles — they’re style icons fueling the rise of kidcore, Y2K fashion, and emotional dressing. In a world defined by uncertainty, dressing like the early 2000s offers comfort, joy, and a powerful sense of belonging.
In this intimate conversation with artist and author Monilola Olayemi Ilupeju, we explore the emotional landscapes of arrival, memory, and intergenerational connection. Speaking from her exhibition Musafiri – Of Travellers and Guests at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Ilupeju reflects on the quiet rituals that shape her practice, the tension between displacement and belonging, and how painting becomes an act of care, vulnerability, and ancestral remembrance.
Surrealism, saturated color, and a touch of humor define the visionary world of Eliška Sky — a photographer and art director creating vibrant dreamscapes that challenge beauty norms and embrace joy, movement, and sustainability. Sky's work explores body positivity and futuristic aesthetics through a lens that is both playful and deeply intentional. In this interview, she reveals the inspirations behind her bold visuals, her creative process, and how she blends imagination with purpose to craft art that speaks to the future.
As recession looms over the creative landscape, casting an increasingly dark shadow on the fashion industry, I couldn't help but wonder (pardon the Carrie reference): what paths remain for aspiring creatives in fashion? If you want to work in fashion and achieve financial stability, the answer may lie in fashion tech. But what exactly is fashion tech, and is it as promising as it sounds?
This editorial is a visual and emotional exploration of duality—of the moments suspended between movement and stillness, composure and chaos. It reflects on the inner tension we carry and the impulse to act, even as we remain grounded. Through a modern mixed-media approach that weaves together varied textures, formats, and perspectives, the work brings depth to fleeting emotions and quiet revelations. What unfolds is a poetic study of vulnerability and restraint, where the unpredictable becomes bearable, even beautiful.
The 16th Arab Film Festival Berlin (ALFILM) casts a daring gaze into the past and future with its spotlight on "Canceled Futures, Endless Pasts"—a theme that unearths archival ghosts and imagines alternative realities through speculative fiction. With a compelling lineup that includes To a Land Unknown and The Village Next to Paradise, this year’s festival bridges personal memory and political struggle, offering cinematic stories from across the Arab world that challenge dominant narratives and invite audiences to rethink what could have been.
Once dismissed as a fleeting trend, logomania is staging a bold comeback—dominating runways, reshaping consumer identity, and redefining what it means to flex in fashion. Big names, bold prints, and zero subtlety: today’s fashion isn’t whispering, it’s shouting. From the runway to your IG feed, logos are the loudest flex. But is it fashion or just a branded identity crisis?
As the lights dimmed inside Berlin’s Velodrom, a familiar silhouette stepped out: wine glass in hand, shades on, cool as ever. Kaytranada didn’t need a hype man, his set spoke entirely through rhythm. Within minutes, the crowd was moving as one. From start to finish, the energy never dipped.
The Middle Ages are more than just a time period—they’ve become a cultural touchstone and a powerful narrative tool. Through their fictionalized and stylized reimaginings, this era lets artists and creators explore the present by looking through the mirror of an imagined past. Remixing the familiar castles, myths, and medieval aesthetics, challenge expectations and reflect on the world today.
