Reference Festival presented the third edition under the theme “Protopia”
by Ivica Mamedy

Reference Festival partnered up with leading art institution Schinkel Pavillon to take over West Berlin’s ultimate architectural landmark, Bierpinsel. The idea was to explore the synergies between fashion and the arts by extending our interdisciplinary festival from Berlin Fashion Week into Art Week.

From September 6th to 19th, the Reference Festival: Protopia featured an installation by 032c which showcased their new MARIA collection, the first-ever presentation by Antonioli’s 44 LABEL GROUP, an installation by acte™, Carhartt WIP’s WIP Magazine Issue 05 launch with Houston based producer Paris Aden, a radio station by deadHYPE x Sunshine Live, a book launch presented by Do You Read Me?!; GmbH, Jack Wolfskin, a performative showcase by Juliana Huxtable x OTTOLINGER, a mobile pop-up and bouldering gym takeover by Phipps, video installations curated by Protopia Futures, an exclusive, news channel themed runway show by Richert Beil; Rudi Gernreich, an interactive installation by Treffpunkt, an exhibition by Wild Animals; a Wood Wood store activation and a music program curated by PAN’s Bill Kouligas which included Mark Leckey and more.



In addition, Reference Incubator (in partnership with Italian fashion powerhouse Slam Jam) presented its winner: London-based Sri Lankan Amesh Wijesekera. The initiative’s committee included super curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, Slam Jam founder Luca Benini, top model Soo Joo Park, Naomi Campbell protege Kenneth Ize, Supreme’s Zainab Jama, GmbH’s Benjamin Huseby & Serhat Isik, Sansovino 6’s Edward Buchanan, Vogue Italia’s Ferdinando Verderi, DEEP Energies’ Clea Irving & James Deutsher, Jack Wolfskin’s Mokhtar Benbouazza, and Eco-Age’s CEO Simon Whitehouse. Reference Incubator set to focus on responsible fashion and representation for new generation talent – Wijesekera perfectly captures this.

Versace Spring/Summer 2022
DIESEL FW21 Campaign
actual
Reference Festival presented the third edition under the theme “Protopia”
previous
Versace Spring/Summer 2022
next
DIESEL FW21 Campaign
Carhartt WIP’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection keeps the brand’s rugged workwear spirit while mixing in fresh elements.
Billionaire Boys Club’s second drop for Fall/Winter 2025 is a celebration of Jamaican sound system culture.
“MiMa is first and foremost a space for discovery and inspiration. That was a core idea from the very beginning, both in the way we curated the selection and in how we designed the space itself.”
FANG NYC’s FW25 collection pulls from creative director Fang Guo’s travels, from Georgia’s concrete Kartlis Deda monument to Crete’s pink sand beaches, to play with contrasts.
Reebok and multitalented artist Tobe Nwigwe are back with the second chapter of their collaborative “Reebok x Chukwu” partnership.
Rihanna’s FENTY x PUMA collaboration returns with a fresh take on football-inspired fashion.
To celebrate the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on PlayStation 5, Ninja Theory has teamed up with London’s Passarella Death Squad for a limited capsule collection.
ERL marks its fifth anniversary with a new version of its signature skate shoe, the Electric Blue Vamp.
Skepta and PUMA are back with a tight, all-black collection that strips streetwear down to its essentials.
Wood Wood enters a new chapter with its FW25 Double A campaign, the first collection under creative director Brian SS Jensen and head of design Gitte Wetter.
Leandro da Silva photographed by Emil Huseynzade and styled by Vladimir Frol de Moura, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
PUMA is re-releasing its special 2003 H-Street sneakers in two Jamaica-inspired colorways, just in time for Notting Hill Carnival.
Delvinas and Antón lensed by Willy Villacorta and styled by María Hernandez, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Viegas is someone who grew up immersed in music and community, with a desire to create spaces where people feel seen and free.
Johnatan Aba and Yoni Goor captured by the lens of Italo Gaspar and styled by Marchesini Matilde & Stefani Sofia, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Stüssy keeps growing, and its newest store in Biarritz, France, is proof.
DJOOKE opens up about his journey from Portuguese small towns to Lisbon’s DJ scene, the birth of iconic LGBTQ+ party BALAGAN, and his vision for inclusive nightlife.
Nicolas Benitez at New Icon photographed by Diego Bigolin and styled by Daniel Zazueta, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Massimo Osti Studio’s latest collection, Continuative Garments, stays true to the brand’s philosophy: clothes should work effortlessly in everyday life.
For Fall/Winter 2025, Billionaire Boys Club turns its focus to Jamaican sound system culture, drawing from the raw energy of dancehall, reggae, and lovers rock.
Salomon has teamed up with JJJJound to reimagine the XT-6 in two very different ways.
The fragrance captures the fleeting bloom of the osmanthus flower, a winter surprise in Kyoto.
Borsalino’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign, captured by Pablo di Prima and shaped by Agata Belcen’s art direction, turns hats into something more than accessories. They become extensions of the people wearing them, subtle yet full of presence.
The brand’s… »
A reimagined version of their classic Plantaris, this ultra-limited release swaps the usual for titanium, turning a familiar shape into something that feels like it’s from 2075.
With a remarkable voice that challenges the status quo, Marval Rex is redefining cultural + transgender identities through the lens of comedy, performance, and thoughtful discourse.
SAVVA at Angels Project photographed and styled by Alberto Saguar, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
Rombaut’s new drop, Ground I, is the latest step in their barefoot series, a shoe that keeps getting simpler, quieter, more like a sculpture than just footwear.
Rick Owens’s first major retrospective in Paris, Temple of Love, transforms the Palais Galliera into a ritualistic sanctuary.
Alex Brendon photographed by Virginia Navarro and styled by Tomás Jaramillo, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
At Selfridges’ Summer of Sound: Music Talks, Allie X and Charles Jeffrey sat down to discuss how music and fashion shape an artist’s visual identity.