The show opened with the calls of Turkish singer Emre Zaim Demirtas under the slow strobe of a warm yellow spotlight, which illuminated dancers in long golden skirts against the concrete walls of Berghain, while the steady beat of Russian DJ Dasha Rush came in to coral the skirted figures into a concentric formation. The movement starts excruciatingly slowly, then growing larger with the music as figures join and the concrete dance floor is turned into a tempest of flaring limbs with gilded fabric rippling in the wake. You easily forget after the first minute that it is a “fashion show.”
The ZONE 005 presentation doesn’t have much in common with a traditional catwalk and felt very far away from the shows of Berlin Fashion Week, but it is part of the UY identity to stray from fashion conventions. While many brands take inspiration from the dark dance floors of the German capital, UY is also producing pieces that find their way back to the city’s techno temples. Founded by Israeli and Swedish designers Idan Gilony and Fanny Lawaetz in 2013, the label focuses on creating handmade pieces from local markets and doesn’t do divisions like gender, age or season.
Gilony tells SLEEK about the inspiration behind the spectacle and why a catwalk doesn’t cut it in this town:
What was the inspiration to show off the collection in a performance, rather than a traditional runway?
We feel that a traditional runway is just not enough anymore. We are very connected to the theatre world, both as a brand and as individuals, so we try to combine it in our creative process. There is always more and more connection between the art world and the fashion world, and the boarders are slowly disappearing; we believe this is a crucial moment in time to explore new ways of artistic and self-expression.
Can you walk us through the story of the performance a little bit?
It comes from the spiritual world, which gained more awareness recently.
As the image of spirituality is often associated with hippie/tribal, rather than with contemporary esthetics, we were inspired to create something deep and strong, yet beautiful and aligned with our style. That’s how the idea of creating a contemporary spiritual ceremony was born.
How did the collaboration between the choreographer, DJ, singer and yourself come together?
This project was a result of a one-year process. After developing the initial idea, we started casting artists, which embrace the perfect contrast between the ancient tribal and the contemporary.
The sound composer Dasha Rush comes from the techno world; the choreographers Matan Zamir & Gal Naor AKA The Progressive Wave brought their spiritual knowledge; The German- Turkish vocal artist; Emre Zaim Demirtas added the authentic ethnicity; and each of the participating artists came from a different background and brought their own special touch. Along with the industrial venue, and UY unique aesthetics, it all combined in perfect harmony.
The performance seemed to make really good use of the space and the resources of the city. As a fashion brand, what do you think is key to working and showing in Berlin?
When we founded UY 5 years ago, the Berlin nightlife scene, the venue’s architecture, the atmosphere, and the techno music mainly inspired us.
For our 5th anniversary we wanted to reconnect with these attributes, celebrating our hard work, at the place it all started, with all the people who took part in our journey so far. We feel that we have grown from a strong community, which is surrounding us and the brand, being a crucial component of our success. This event is a mutual celebration of the Berlin young alternative generation.
What materials were used in the collection?
We have recently had the pleasure to design costumes for the Staatsballett Berlin- at the Deutsche Oper Berlin; a project that had a great deal of inspiration on UY Zone event both in terms of materials.
We used light nude mesh with gold applicant in order to achieve a sweaty, wet look, the other material was thin lining in gold, to achieve an outstanding affect on stage. We also made head pieces out of artificial hair, to add a dramatic effect at the end of the performance.
Check out Nadia Morozewicz’s shots from back stage and during the performance:
Credits
Concept, Artistic Direction: Idan Gilony for UY Studio
Co-artistic direction & Choreography The progressive wave (Gal Naor and Matan Zamir)
Sound composer: Dasha Rush
Solo Performance: Valentin Tszin
Lighting designer: Michał andrysiak
Vocals: Emre Zaim
Visuals: Stanislav Glazov