Reference Festival Recap
by Adriano Batista
From January 21st to 23rd, the second edition of Reference Festival was staged on a virtual platform, Reference Realities. Under the theme of Navigating Parallel Realities, activations for the largest part were created in physical space and expanded digitally which attracted a global crowd of more than 28,000 people. It set the perspective for virtual events and experiences.
In absence of a crowd the Zeiss Major Planetarium in Berlin was the festival’s key physical venue which saw exclusive, one time performances by Die Hässlichen Vögel, while in partnership with Carhartt WIP, Bill Kouligas’ label PAN presented Anne Imhof & Eliza Douglas, ‘Act 1’ by MJ Harper & David Jainz styled by Stefano Pilati in Random Identities, Pan Daijing, and Amnesia Scanner whose show was enhanced by after-effects from Freeka Tet that came to life on referencerealities.com. Each performance was site-specific, conceived for the planetarium, and optimized for the environment of the platform. A live chat function enabled registered visitors to communicate and share the experience. Reference Festival became a space of virtual togetherness for like-minded people across the globe.
Organisers Reference Studios gallery space on Berlin Schoeneberg’s famous Potsdamer Strasse became another physical site of cultural content production. It hosted a multidisciplinary exhibition which included a selection of sculptures by Tobias Spichtig for Balenciaga, the launch of a collaborative side table by furniture design duo Chapel Petrassi x Mowalola, an edit of Endyma’s Helmut Lang archive curated by Michael Kardamakis, an interactive installation by creative collective Treffpunkt, an exclusive film screening by emerging designer’s PunkZec’s COLRS as well as the presentation of a suit by contemporary creative studio acte™ in collaboration with Sucuk & Bratwurst that was created for the event.
More detached from location were the film for GmbH’s FW21 ‘Welt am Draht’ collection, 032c’s 20th anniversary activation which sent LCD paneled trucks across Berlin, a purely virtual Blue Room created by EBIT™ (Enjoy Being in Transition) in collaboration with Michel Gaubert, and an experience by Lost Souls of Saturn (Seth Troxler & Phil Moffa) premiered and hosted at the platform’s planetarium stage. The platform proved seamless functionality throughout.
Reference Festival closed with the announcement of a prize for emerging talent in partnership with Slam Jam, that will roll out with further information and the introduction of its full committee in the next weeks. Slam Jam offers an incubator program, while Reference Studios takes on the winner’s PR. The prize highlights underrepresented voices, no degree or even formal education is required to enter. More context was created in panels by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Honey Dijon, with features from Soo Joo Park, Kenneth Ize, Michel Gaubert, Tiffany Godoy, Michael Kardamakis (ENDYMA), Iolo Lewis Edwards (High Fashion Talk), and Michelle Elie.
Carlota Barrera Spring/Summer 2021
Givenchy Spring/Summer 2021 Campaign
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Take a look at DOUBLET’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Rita Castel-Branco during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
Take a look at KIDSUPER’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Tiago Pestana during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
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After showing off-calendar for two seasons in a presentation format, the 2023 LVMH Prize-nominated designer Kartik Kumra is now the first Indian designer to be on the official menswear calendar.
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When J Balvin puts his name on something, you know it won’t be ordinary.
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Entitled ‘The Boy Who Jumped the Moon’, this latest KidSuper collection explored key notions of naïveté, innocence and dreams, which are some of the defining characteristics of any childhood.
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Louis Gabriel Nouchi’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection asks a question: Do androids dream of wet desires?
Willy Chavarria’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway show was a protest, a love letter, and a reclamation of dignity.
Take a look at Kenzo’s Spring/Summer 2026 backstage, captured by the lens of Thomas Lizzi during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
Take a look at LAZOSCHMIDL’s Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, captured by the lens of Rita Castel-Branco during Paris Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young!
From strippers to cake and condoms as souvenirs, the Carne Bollente party during Paris Fashion Week was the place to dance the night away.
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