21 minute read
Lie Ning
Lie Ning’s music is like the embrace of a hug – warm, comforting and without judgement. Times are exciting for the Berlin-based artist, with the release of Ning’s upcoming single “Offline” coming up on the 30th of September, followed by a studio album on the 21st of October.
KALTBLUT. caught up with Ning to chat about what it’s like to grow up in a squat in the early 2000s in Berlin and how the city has changed in general. As everyone would know: It’s kinda hard finding real Berliners in Berlin, so as soon as you find one, you ask them all the questions about what it’s like growing up in a city that’s so rich in history, change, and culture.
I've seen that you grew up in Prenzlauer Berg just after the Berlin Wall fell. Can you tell me a little bit about what your childhood in reunified Germany was like and how it shaped you as a person and musician now?
Lie: I, unfortunately, didn’t experience east Berlin as much as I could have. My mother and the people I was living in this commune with 25 people who were all mostly from Western Germany. They migrated to East Berlin because of the cheap buildings. There used to be this programme that helped people buy property and rebuild completely rundown houses.
There were so many abandoned buildings! There was this huge movement of renewal, which had an impact on me. As a child, I remember not being able to go anywhere and being in contact with people you wouldn't be in contact with now – especially in Prenzlauer Berg!
I remember one of my Kindergarten teachers was from East Germany. They were very loving but very tough. I remember their style was a lot simpler compared to people from Western Germany, I loved it. There was so much potential, everybody felt this huge opportunity to create and build from scratch. Because of this newfound energy, there was no judgement. Another thing was uncertainty and not knowing what was going to happen – nobody knew if the wall was gone! But, at the same time, all of a sudden, you could just freely move sides. I was brought up with that kind of energy.
At that time, I was living with many creatives who based their work on topics like freedom. I guess that really shaped me and is still something really important in my work.
Can you tell me about that commune you grew up in? It sounds very unconventional and cool!
Lie: My mother is one of the founders. She helped to rebuild and refurbish this house for over two years. They lived on a construction site. They were young people that wanted to try to live by a different concept. Rather than sharing just the necessary necessities, it was a proper community. One person was cooking for the 25 people that lived there, we had political organisations, there was a food stall where we could get local and seasonal produce, and we had neighbourhood parties. There was a lot to it!
That’s so interesting because nowadays, Berlin can sometimes be a cold and lonely city for a lot of people. It seems within this short time, the city must have changed drastically. Do you miss the Berlin you grew up in?
Lie: It changed so fast, and I lived with the change. I still appreciate how it is now. However, Berlin as a city is missing something, for sure. It is a missing opportunity for people that cannot afford the high rents. That's a general problem: These kinds of safe spaces are missing. There's still the Tuntenhaus at Kastanienallee, which we were very much connected to. These places create spaces for people that are not legal in this country, because they are better connected with lawyers, etc. I think you can feel the lack of these places in the city.
When you're saying the city sometimes feels cold, I agree. There are still areas that have a communal feeling. But, slowly even they are becoming more and more exclusive and based on profit and physical exchange.
It’s almost like it’s turned into a business in some way. And what were your first encounters with music like?
Lie: My mother was always into music. I was very young when we started going to concerts. I remember Seeed was one of the first concerts I went to, which is incredible. I still love them. They create such a beautiful vibe and space when they're performing while projecting that sense of unity. They come from that time in Germany where there was a movement of black and brown people in the 90s. Unfortunately, it died out over the years. Back then, a lot of people were coming here – Berlin was this melting pot.
Why do you think that is?
Lie: I think it's coming back. From what I'm feeling in the music scene, it's still small, and it's not supported as it should be. There's a big scene of Neo-Soul artists, which are connecting over the borders of industry. The German industry is so tight and outdated, that it's time for someone else to move into it. I don't think it's possible to do so from within. It has to come from the outside because it needs a new perspective.
I want to talk about your music. If you had to describe your sound in three words, what would they be?
Lie: Warm, loving and radical.
I like that! When it comes to starting as a musician in Berlin. Do you think it’s easier for you because you’re doing something else besides Techno?
Lie: Honestly, I think so. For the stuff that I'm writing right now, I want to integrate a little Techno. I grew up with Techno and I desire to create something when the party is over, and you want to feel embraced. I want to get to that point after an energetic line-up and be like: “Okay, we're here now. You can come down. You're not alone. Whatever you've taken, whatever person you got off with. It's all good, you’re good!”
Like an after-party/comedown vibe?
lot of important topics, such as mental health for example. But sometimes there's a lack of answers and a lack of what now? There needs to be pickup. Love and hope are so strong and so underestimated because they’re so romanticised.
But, it's a practice, a vibe, and something we can work on. It's probably the strongest motor in our society. That's what I'm going to address most.
And, I think that shows in your music, as well. I want to ask you for your opinion on how Berlin has changed when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community.
Just recently there was a lot of criticism about the CSD for being commercial and anti-Trans, for example.
Lie: I can't tell you to be honest, because I never went. It was never an event I enjoyed because I have experienced both sexism and racism. It's always been commercialised, I think it's a lie when people are saying this has changed. Of course, it's stronger now, but it’s always been commercial.
To concentrate on that is so sad because there are just so many events in Berlin around pride that are political. There are some incredible demonstrations. When you go to pride, there are mostly white people and white gay. There are other incredible events in the city.
Would you say Berlin is a safe city for queer people?
Lie: No, it’s not. It’s still a lot better than a lot of other places because it is such a huge community. I love going to Schöneberg sometimes because I also forget how this is a place where you can walk the streets as freely as you want.
I think it's a terrible thing Berlin is selling itself like that. Berlin is profiting and getting a lot from that reputation because people come here with an expectation. It's not. And it's important to see.
It all goes back to creating safe spaces. It's essential in times like these to establish more of these spaces, get state funding for them and let them be led by people from the community.
Do you have three places you’d recommend in Berlin?
Lie: Südblock, Schwuz and the growing ballroom community.
Lie Ning is going on tour soon. You can purchase tickets here.
Follow @lie__ning on Instagram to keep up to date on his upcoming music.
Interview by Johanna Urbancik Photography by Lukas Städler @lokkas and Anika Zachow @zachow_pictures
FEERIC Text by Ferric Fashion Week @feericfashionweek Backstage Photos by Ancira Adeon @anciraadeon www.feeric.ro FASHION WEEK
The 14th edition of Feeric Fashion Week took place between July 20st and 24th in Sibiu/ Transylvania/Romania and its surroundings. Since 2008, Feeric Fashion Week hasw been a meeting point to explore new trends and an important national and international showcase for creatives of the fashion world.
For the 14th edition of Feeric Fashion Week brought, the focus was on designers and fashion schools from Eastern Europe that came to Sibiu between July 20 and 24 to present their latest or graduate collections in unconventional spaces in the city and in Sibiu County. The fashion shows started with an unconventional show, in an atypical space, on the spiral that connects the first floor with the second floor of the Promenada Sibiu shopping center.
Ukrainian designer Irina Dzhus opened the 14th edition of Feeric Fashion Week with a fall / winter 2022 collection, produced exclusively using cruelty-free materials, according to the brand's ethical values. A theme that, by the way, we will find throughout this year's edition.
In the same space followed the presentation of the Borbala brand, where the designer used only upcycled and recycled materials, including melted plastic bags and then transformed into evening dresses, accessorized with plastic caps and shampoo boxes. All these surprising details try to draw attention to the problems caused by global pollution. Alist Designers boutique returned to Feeric Fashion Week with a new selection of pieces by Romanian designers. The project initiated by Alist Magazine and supported by Bucharest Mall Vitan, continues to promote local creations, with over 50 names from the Romanian industry in the last two years. The presentation of the collection took place on the pedestrian passage on Manejului Street. The last presentation of the day took the audience and guests up the beautiful stairs of the Brukenthal Summer Palace in Avrig. Present for the fourth time at Feeric Fashion Week, the RAMELLE brand presented the Infinity collection at Avrig. On Friday, the second day of Feeric Fashion Week, at 1 pm, at Cinegold, in Feeric Venue, students in clothing design from Romania, Poland and Italy presented their works resulting from their years of study in a large collective show. Students and graduates of the University of Art and Design in Cluj Napoca, the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design in Iași and the University of Timișoara, the School of Art and Fashion Design in Krakow or the Istituto Marangoni in Milan took part. At the end of the series of presentations, Istituto Europeo di Design and Feeric Fashion Week awarded the young Romanian designer Vișovan Anamaria Mihaela Mater from Art + Design Faculty, West University Timisoara with a full scholarship for the "Summer Course" that will take place on the IED campus in Barcelona, in July next year.
the outskirts of Sibiu. Among the cars mutilated and transformed into old beasts, the pieces of the new www.dressingz.com garments and HOOLDRA collection were showcased.
Born out of concern for the planet and love for fashion, www.dressingz.com is the newest home of luxury pre-loved garments. In the form of a marketplace, this is the destination where you can shop and sell authentic goods, verified by international experts: from rare vintage items, IT contemporary pieces, and exclusive garments. www.dressingz.com is also an inspirational fashion hub, updating you with the latest trends and fashion news, or sharing styling ideas. We invite you all to #DressForTheBiggerPicture and rethink your shopping habits. Unite with our community by RE-styling RE-thinking, RE-loving, RE-inventing and finally, join us in a battle of REmodelling a polluting industry. For the second year in a row, the Hooldra brand is partnering with the Humane Society International in the global #FurFree campaign, which aims to raise the alarm about the use of natural furs in fashion. Everything in the Hooldra collection is "real", from recycled clothing, leftover fabrics and handmade shoes with recycled adhesive tapes, to choosing the location that reflects our environment.
Before the last presentation of the day, at Cinegold took place a visual installation, entitled Home, at the origins - Făgăraș Country, a wide campaign of identity recovery of the traditional port in Romania and in the territories inhabited by Romanians, as it is worn and kept in Nowadays. The project is initiated by the La Blouse Roumaine community, in partnership with the Ţara Făgăraș Community Foundation, the Canvas and Storytelling Museum, Mândra Chic and local volunteers, in order to reconnect and develop communities through what is most valuable: cultural heritage. The event started at 6 pm. Later, at 8 pm, on the terrace of Promenada Sibiu, the Synergia collection was unveiled to guests and spectators, a collection of 12 outfits that gives positive energy and harmony to the shapes that shape the silhouette, being inspired by the visual identity of Sibiu Promenade. The collection is made by the clothing designer Raluca Elena Coșăreanu. Saturday, the last day of the fashion shows during Feeric Fashion Week, started at 1 pm with two street presentations, on the ridge of Centumvirilor Street in the Historic Center. The first of them is supported
DZHUS is a conceptual clothing and accessories brand founded in 2010 by Ukrainian designer and stylist Irina Dzhus. Avant-garde yet utilitarian, DZHUS designs are internationally recognised by their innovative cut and multi-purpose transformations.Since Russia began its attack on Ukraine, Irina Dzhus had to flee her Homeland and found her refuge in Western Europe, travelling between Warsaw, Paris and Berlin.
Meanwhile, Irina’shusband and business partner Anatolii Elgert has resumed DZHUS’ production in Kyiv. DZHUS Autumn/Winter 2022 collection refers to illusion as the fundamental notion of the metamodernism culture. Duality and hidden senses are undividable from DZHUS design itself, offering numerous metamorphoses of clothing and accessories, and clothing into accessories. The visual aesthetics of the looks is ironic and controversial within itself, hence, self-sufficient. In the Autumn/Winter line of unified wardrobe items, the designer’s fantasy went further than functional ‘bonuses’: duplicity is materialised literally, and the extra content is physically unveiled, as the pieces are transformed either when delaminated, or once their inside is extracted. The silhouettes are exaggeratedly structured, and the styles divide into two directions: abstract-escapist ‘cocoons’ versus markedly classic pieces, concealing potential for radical reincarnations. The collection is produced using cruelty-free materials only, according to DZHUS’ ethical values.
DZHUS
by the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, by a Romanian designer, graduate of the institute, Marinela Djurdj.
Then, Andreea Pleşa presented the InBetween project, a project that wants to sound the alarm on the excessive consumerism that underlies the clothing industry, the collection thus becoming a spokesperson to draw attention to both material and physical abuses that it uses fast fashion. From Centumvirilor, the Feeric “caravan” moved to the industrial setting of the Boromir factory, where in the geometric space on the top floor of the factory we saw a new collection signed by Bianca Popp, the longest-lived designer present at Feeric Fashion Week.
OUT OF THE BOX is a collection about the emotions that grow in us if we ignore them, until they come to dominate us, a collection of evening dresses so exatravagant that they become characters, made of rustling taffeta The fashion shows ended with the most awaited and well-known event of the fashion week in Sibiu, the Feeric Gala. For the first time since its establishment, the Gala did not take place in the Small Square but in the courtyard of the Evangelical Church in Huet Square. Was a gala full of pomp and surprises, with quality music and seven fashion shows that were more and more spectacular. As every year, the host of the gala was the TV star Cosmina Păsărin.
"We are at the 14th edition of Feeric Fashion Week, the journey so far is incredible. We have managed to bring Sibiu to a place of great honor on the European fashion scene, to become the most important fashion week in Eastern Europe and one of the most creative in the world, but things are really starting now, with this edition of transition that prepares a new path. Thus, we will add continuity to the project by approaching an educational segment and by involving the local community. We continue to offer designers the most suitable launching pad through the connections created over these 14 years around the world and we will try to turn Feeric Fashion Week into a huge global fashion hub. And we are proud to create everything in Sibiu", says Mitichi, founder and president of Feeric Fashion Week.
FEERIC FASHION WEEK
FEERIC FASHION WEEK
DZHUS
Will humans have a place in the new world defined by the consequences of our actions? Who is in fact endangered? The collection features many recycled and upcycled materials, such as melted plastic bags, recycled HDPE, reworked sportswear, and knitwear. Low-tech waterproof garments are one of the key items of the collection, referring to the dramatic consequences of climate change, that unfortunately many communities are already experiencing. The prints and accessories are inspired by different unicellular organisms playing with the utopian idea of new life forms rising from this chaos of the Anthropocene, and nature's capability to always renew and evolve. The silhouettes are playful and feminine, some of them incorporating elements from maternity clothes, as a symbol of change and the chance of rebirth. The diy finishings, childish drawings are an open invitation for anyone to be part of the change. We can all be creative and contribute to a better future.
@b_o_r_b_a_l_a_
AIDA LORENA
Before presenting the collection, designers Aida Lorena and Claudia would like to thank the organizers of the Feeric festival for all the support they have shown in the last four years and for all the wonderful challenges they have encountered since then. The "New" 2022 collection tells the story of the spiritual alphabet of numbers from zero to nine with the help of colors and elements inspired by sacred geometry. Numbers have been and will remain consciousness and the primary and infinite source of inspiration from the beginning of time. Their story begins in a vacuum and contains all the stages of the creation of the universe, matter, and the human being. Too many words would load the imagination of the spectator, so the designers of the collection will leave an open door to the world of fantasy in which the creation creates itself through your pupil. And as if by magic, the story becomes ours! @aidalorenaatelier
ALEXANDRA CATRANGIU STUDIO
Inspired by the abstract paintings of Al Held (an abstract expressionist painter), I've created the Echo minimalist collection, named right after one of his works, bringing into focus and re-enacting the circle bicolor element. The circle represents evolution as a transformational process, the beginning and the end, the eternity.
Minimalism never begins or ends, the joining of black and white continue to move within the circle, elegantly. The natural, sustainable materials also transform themselves on the line of time. The entire universe of sustainable clothing maintains things in a constant state of movement, a progression that inspires me towards continuit. @alexandracatrangiustudio
FEERIC
FASHION WEEK
FEERIC FASHION WEEK
BIANCA POPP
OUT OF THE BOX, is a collection about the emotions that grow inside us when ignored, up to the point of bursting out and controlling us. It us a collection of evening dresses so extravagant that they become characters, made of noisy taffeta, so that not even those with the eyes in their phones would not miss their entrance. Loss of function, the last dress in the show, was inspired by the multicolored spinning wheel that tells us that the computer is blocked. @biancapoppofficial
BIANCA RIPAN
The concept around this collection is "the will to empower '' inspired from the woman's strength to rebuild herself after a trauma or disappointment, reshaping herself stronger every time and more aware of her own strengths. This collection is more than a storyline, it's a walk within the soul as nothing from what rebuilds herself has been randomly used or chosen, but rather as a form of expression, a metaphor. The materials used like: leather, latex, tulle are a gradual openness towards people and society. Also, the closure systems as well as the cutting design itself reveal the woman who now Knows what she has to do.
This collection basically represents an extension of every woman's personality ( either revealed or not) who managed to rebuild herself from ashes at least once! It's a manifest of well deserved empowerment! @bianca.ripan
DRESSINGZ
Born out of concern for the planet and love for fashion, Dressingz is the newest home of luxury pre-loved garments. In the form of a market-place, this is the destination where you can shop and sell authentic goods, verified by international experts: from rare vintage items, IT contemporary pieces, and exclusive garments coming directly from our famous friends' dressings, to a wide selection of goods uploaded by fashion enthusiasts. Dressingz is also an inspirational fashion hub, updating you with the latest trends and fashion news, or sharing styling ideas. We invite you all to #DressForTheBiggerPicture and rethink your shopping habits. Unite with our community by RE-styling REthinking, RE-loving, RE-inventing and finally, join us in a battle of RE-modelling a polluting industry. @dressingz_store
Hooldra is a responsible upcycling brand and we are used to seeing its marvelous collaborations with emerging creatives for a new ethical standard in fashion. For the new collection, with considerably less impact on the environment, HOOLDRA involved once again Mira Wanderlust and Jacqueline Barth. On the first side, Mira wants to reflect a kind of punk concept by mixing raw hand-painted fabrics, unfinished art and graffiti with an aesthetic approach. The idea is to reflect the interior youth, no matter the age. Jacqueline, instead, shows us the importance of upcycling, reflecting through tiny details that re-using garments and accessories is always a solution for a better environment. We can see a kind of enthusiasm, a challenge to do the best with what you already have. Creativity gains a main role when you are scarce. Jacqueline completes the styling with accessories like chains and safety pins. Everything in the collection is ‘real’, starting from the deadstock upcyled garments, leftover fabrics and hand-made shoes with recycled adhesive bands, to the choice of the location to reflect our environment and the choice of the models. The artistic moment will be joined by a media campaign initiated by Feeric Fashion Week and Humane Society International in Romania, which aims to stop the use of furs and natural leather in fashion creations. @hooldra
CASI COUTURE
Casi Couture created the Own The Moment collection for the woman proud of her sexuality, who loves luxury, attention, and to draw all eyes on her, to remain an unforgettable memory in the eyes of viewers. The transparent tulle hand-accessorized in hundreds of hours of work with extremely precious elements, transposes the inner brilliance of the invincible woman to the outside, the fragility of the feathers show us at the same time how fragile a strong woman can be, while the pearls remind us about the elegance and the refinement of the feminine beauty. @casi.couture
FEERIC FASHION WEEK
Dear Spacegirl - RTW 2023 Sandra Chira translates into clothing language a fragment from the designer's childhood. "After skiing, at the end of spring, I used to pick crocus flowers ...". In the winter of this year, the mountain landscape followed the same delicate aesthetic, but it had more plastic bags and snowy packaging than flowers. The project has the role of a self-portrait - subtly incorporating in some technical details specific to the retro ski suit, brought in a feminine context of warm and cold whites, shades of pink, blue and colored grays. The graphic elements speculated in prints and textile structures are the spring flowers whose root grows in plastic bags. @sandra.chira
