The holistic grunge of Marie Lueder

The first fashion show of Marie Lueder took place in front of a huge luminous sphere over 4 meters high, symbolizing «a new rebirth and a moment of unity.» Mono-Myth brought to Berlin, in the premises of a former abandoned film studio, an imaginary grunge-holistic atmosphere made of knitwear, sweatshirts, and denim paired with the Vibram FiveFingers model to "maintain contact with the ground even in an urban context." «The purpose of the fashion show was to create a myth, a kind of fictional reality, worried about the world but together progressing with a happy ending. Something that could also be synthetic, a sort of glowing ball that the models could surround like moth around a light bulb. Symbolizing an unexpected event that will happen in the future but which we will survive because we will be strong together, an optimistic view of something we cannot change,» Lauder explained, while behind the scenes a string of friends enveloped her with flowers and hugs, celebrating a great achievement for the designer who lives between London and Berlin, with a past as a tailor at the Hamburg Opera.

The brand was born in 2019 as a "performative space" and explores new masculine identities ranging from sportswear to functional aesthetics, but with an unprecedented sartorial twist. The influences of London and Berlin, the two capitals that serve as operational bases for the design and production of the garments, are evident: denim, jersey, and eco-nylon take on genderless, slouchy, and oversized silhouettes, while the colors are on the verge of primordial, never entirely saturated, evoking the four elements with a focus on the phases of fire transformation. The dyes were handcrafted in collaboration with the Tintoria  Emiliana, the dyeing company of Stone Island, while an innovative technique gives a "crystallized" finish to the rouched bombers. «I like that the clothes embrace the body like a heavy blanket, it's the same feeling as a tailor-made outfit»

An idea of softness and welcoming that goes against market trends, squared shoulders, and rigid lines; the brand prefers shell jackets with accentuated elbows and an oversized fit. The fluidity of the silhouettes juxtaposes the idea of medieval armor, a recurring trope in Lueder's aesthetics stemming from a childhood memory of the designer, a medieval festival in Hamburg that served as inspiration for the Charcoal Warriors with asymmetric busts as well as most other garments but interpreted in a contemporary way. An outfit that can appear simultaneously androgynous and feminine, with elbows accentuated by an engineered fabric reminiscent of chainmail. «I thought of pairing the garments with Vibram FiveFingers because they speak of a holistic approach to oneself, the idea is to experience nature even in the city, when we go to the bus stop to go to work and along the way we come across a tree or a patch of grass. Trying to perceive nature in the most unexpected places or the floor of the city itself.»

And again, knitted coats, denim capri pants, waist bags, elf hats in collaboration with 4FSB, upcycled and hand-airbrushed tees by artist Mia Violet: the final result is the psychedelic mix that a medieval surfer returning from a rave would wear. Clubbing, not surprisingly, Lueder speaks of as "a strong inspiration." «The best parties are always, I think, the most spontaneous ones, in autonomous spaces, squats or somewhere where people simply gather and have a good time without anyone caring about your economic background or what you do in life. It's the part of club culture that has inspired me the most, along with the concept of layering and cross-dressing. If I were to summarize the philosophy of my brand, I would talk about a holistic approach, awareness for mental health, and the aspiration for complete sustainability. »