LUEDER presents its latest collection, The Shell, at INTERVENTION III during Berlin Fashion Week. The collection navigates the tension between privacy and exposure, exploring themes of voyeurism, surveillance, and transformation. With a distinct neo-romantic perspective, designer Marie Lueder crafts a world where historical aesthetics collide with the raw energy of underground subcultures.
For this season, Lueder continues her exploration of archetypal characters, imagining figures shaped by the contradictions of modern life. The collection introduces personas such as the hooligan, the decadent romantic, and the undead teenager, each embodying different facets of rebellion, nostalgia, and detachment.
Drawing from the concept of “friendly stalking” and the experience of feeling confined, whether within one’s own identity or a physical space, The Shell reinterprets historical references. Elements such as 19th-century textiles, grand drapery, and intricate carpet prints are reworked with a raw, futuristic sensibility. The result is a vision that feels like stepping into an abandoned yet opulent estate, where ghosts of the past coexist with an electrified, rave-infused atmosphere.
The Shell is a study in transformation, shedding layers of protection to embrace unfiltered self-expression. Influenced by Luchino Visconti’s Ludwig, the collection embraces dramatic camp aesthetics and emotionally charged storytelling. This interplay of decadence and restraint reinforces Lueder’s ongoing dialogue between craftsmanship, subversion, and historical reinterpretation.
The runway presentation mirrors this narrative, immersing the audience in a disorienting, cinematic space. Custom carpets by Pointex, featuring black-and-white portraits of LUEDER’s community, some resembling mugshots, others spectral figures, set the stage. Overhead, three chandeliers by Tym Novikov refract laser light, creating an environment that feels both opulent and distorted. The brand’s signature motif, an inverted rose, reinforces the collection’s surrealist themes.
The experience is further heightened by sound design from Simon Parris, layering together an unsettling mix of a heartbeat-like ticking clock, the hum of drones, and an ethereal acapella voice. This auditory landscape intensifies the sense of unease, pulling viewers into LUEDER’s dystopian vision.
Further solidifying its impact, LUEDER has been awarded the Berlin Contemporary Prize, an honor presented by The Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises / Projekt Zukunft.
