The Berlin-based high-end unisex streetwear brand #DAMUR is set to challenge societal norms and spark transformative conversations on gender, sexuality and bodies with its innovative fashion film “Skirt” during Berlin Fashion Week. Showcasing its new SS25 collection, the event will be held at delphi LUX Kino Berlin on July 3, 2024, from 17:00 to 20:00, featuring three consecutive screenings and live performances. This phygital installation merges both physical and digital presentations, providing the audience with an immersive experience.
A Personal Story Hidden Inside Everyone. The story starts with Damur Huang’s (founder of #DAMUR) childhood experience in ballet. “I remember having to wear a shirt and shorts during a ballet performance in kindergarten, while the other girls got to wear pretty ballet skirts,” Damur explains. “Of course, I didn’t know much about gender norms back then (5 years old), but I somehow was hurt and felt that I did NOT belong there, on that stage, together with other dancers. This early incident with gender stereotypes made me feel excluded and I didn’t realize until I was grown up, highlighting how strongly skirts (expectation) are associated with femininity (labeling) in society. I think this society or the mainstream culture often forces predominant ideas on how people should dress themselves, that they need to look by their biological sex.”
Breaking Rigid Gender Stereotypes. “Skirt,” the debut fashion film by #DAMUR, curated in collaboration with Taiwanese director Psychobaby Gill and co-director Damur Huang, tells the love story of seven young students in Berlin. Each character is adorned in unique skirts from the #DAMUR SS25 collection, showcasing real and surreal aesthetics and sensuality, which reflects every one of us. They gather and wander through Görlitzer Park in their daydream, then share the desire for intimacy in the safest place, the so-called home. They fully reveal their identities on the dance floor with fun and boldness. There is no gender, no sexual orientation, no race, or body shape that matters, because they are united by the expressive power of the skirts they wear. Drawing cinematic inspiration from the classic movie “Blow-Up,” “Skirt” challenges societal expectations of specific genders and opens a dialogue about the power dynamics resulting from rigid gender stereotypes. The film encourages viewers to reconsider traditional gender norms and embrace the diversity and individuality that skirts can represent. The SS25 collection is #DAMUR’s way of rethinking those frustrations, turning them into a universal message of inclusion and self-expression.
The SS25 Collection, A Love Letter to EVERYONE and Sustainability. In line with the theme of the fashion film, the designer draws inspiration from Victorian skirts—a symbol of traditional skirt usage—and deconstructs them as an attempt to question social norms while emphasizing the brand’s values. One of the exceptional pieces is a skirt crafted from 25 ties bequeathed to Damur by his recently deceased father, merging sentimental value with a provocative statement by blending ties (representing chauvinism) into an art piece, like a skirt or a dress, swinging and flying together with the dancer in Görlitzer Park. The super white knee-length skirt adorned with white ruffles, a double-pleated two-piece skirt, evokes Damur’s childhood memory of ballet. An ethereal, all-white dress made from airy fabric features drawstrings throughout, creating a stunning silhouette that can be adjusted to fit any body shape. Another standout piece is a full-length red dress with a dramatic off-the-shoulder sleeve design and pull strings. The knee-length skirt, with its elastic waistband, ensures comfort for various body sizes and is accented with colorful ruffles and the signature #DAMUR brand tag. Additionally, a black long dress with an asymmetrical neckline and drawstring details captures the vibrant, disco ball spirit that everyone desires. All showcased pieces are made from surplus (deadstock) fabrics and old prototypes from the Berlin office of #DAMUR, underscoring the brand’s commitment to upcycling and sustainable fashion.
There is always an ending in every movie, but what if we don’t want it to just end like this? This is the ideal of a phygital presentation that extends the emotional and unworldly language from the screen to the audience, beyond the film. The melody replays one of the songs from the movie; the dancer, wearing one of the dresses, stands out from the red chair, playing and wandering like air in the cinema. The tension of muscle stretches out the fabric, with stares, ruffles, and cuts. The story transitions from the movie to the garment, to the audience, to our hearts, while the dancer touches one of the audience’s heads, hair, shoulders, or chins. The story eventually ends, but our heartbeat will continue.
Credits
Movie Director: Psychobaby Gill
Producer: Damur Huang
Director of Photography: Dr. Leonardoz
Special Guest Performer (Live): Katharina Whittome
Actors & Actresses: Anastasiia Mazhara, Cherif Khlass, Katharina Whittome, Lara-Emilie, Lisa-Maria Wuttig, Mikhail Fabiano, Neki Sham
Costume Design & Stylist: Inés Varoquaux Pascual, Galateea Sidor, Lujia Yang, Mihaly Szabo
Executive Managers: Melissa Martinon, Una Urosev
Press Manager: I-Ju Hsieh
Social Media: Cheryl Tang
Screenwriter: Damur Huang
Makeup & Hair Styling: Alexandra Johansson, Lana Berginc Predovic
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