Lenni Bubi’s subwoofer skirt will give you good vibrations

All Lenni Bubi needs for a genius fashion moment is a good pair of headphones. While most designers create extensive moodboards from towering files of references, the Universität der Künste (UdK) fashion student – who’s yet to sit his final exam – takes a different approach. “I don’t work through research first, or build a board of any sort. I just need good headphones, a good house set, one to two hours of time, and a walk through Berlin, mostly its hectic areas,” he explains. “When I’m back home or at my studio, I already have my design mostly ready.”

It was on one of these immersive music sessions that Bubi formulated the idea for his woofer skirt – a figure-hugging slip of chocolate brown latex with functioning speakers embedded into the fabric. Though Bubi is yet to graduate, he posted his final year collection on Instagram and the woofer skirt quickly went viral, with countless videos of dirt vibrating on the speakers making it onto our feeds.

Below, we catch up with Bubi about his experimental final collection, creating things “that have no need or right to exist”, and what’s next after he graduates from UdK.

Hey Lenni! Can you tell me about your background in fashion?

Lenni Bubi: Hey! I did my BA in Fashion Design at the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK). I haven’t had my final exam yet, so technically I haven’t graduated.

Why did you want to pursue a fashion career as a child?

Lenni Bubi: I actually wanted to be a dancer growing up. But recently I found some drawings I made as a teenager of these strange bodily contraptions, almost like sculptures. It was really interesting because they already hinted at the kind of work I’m making today. Finding them made me feel close to my younger self.

What was the inspiration behind your most recent graduate collection?

Lenni Bubi: I guess it all comes down to my own conversation about purpose. I find peace in creating things that have no need or right to exist. Taking away the purpose really frees me. I’m such a dreamer as a person, and I try to invite the outside world to do the same through my work.

How did you actually make the woofer skirt? What was the process and was it difficult?

Lenni Bubi: It was a journey. I had to research so much into the technical aspects of a speaker and figure out how to incorporate it into the garment. To achieve this sunken-in look, I had to make tonnes of prototypes, getting closer and closer to the perfect fit.

I tried at least five different fabrics before I was satisfied. Everything always takes me forever because I’m scared it won’t turn out exactly how I imagined it. Integrating all the technical aspects was also a challenge, but getting into all these tech things actually felt really good. At some point my studio looked crazy with all the things I had to use for my pieces. Walking into it gave mad scientist vibes, to be honest, but seeing it all come together in the end was really satisfying.

How did it feel to have lots of people engaging with your work online?

Lenni Bubi: It’s really interesting. It showed me what kind of bubble I exist in. The people I have around me, or the people I follow and who follow me, of course mostly react to my work very positively.

Breaking out of that bubble, though, and going viral, with my work being shared by so many pages, opens it up to very different opinions. Being confronted with negative or critical comments is great as well. In the end, I really do want to make people feel something – that’s what my work is about.

“I love mixing references that probably shouldn’t meet and creating visuals that can feel uncomfortable at times” – Lenni Bubi

How would you describe your design style?

Lenni Bubi: That’s a hard one for me. I’ve never really liked describing my style. I guess my work is definitely analytical. I suck up a lot from my surroundings. I also just love mixing references that probably shouldn’t meet and creating visuals that can feel uncomfortable at times. I personally love confusion so much in other people’s work. Of course it’s great making things that suit a certain palate and seem beautiful, but what really stands above my personal taste is the concept of confusion.

Everything that makes you think; seeing things that make you question, rethink, or even dislike something – that’s great to me. Confusion, or even feeling overwhelmed, is where something new starts. That’s where you discover something. So I guess my design style is… passionate, mostly sexy, and probably uncalled for.

What’s next after university?

Lenni Bubi: I wish I knew! I’m working on some cool projects right now, and I’ll try to keep that going. I have a strong desire to innovate, and I hope I find a way to pursue that on my own. Even though it seems like the biggest challenge, I definitely want to go after my dreams.

If you could only wear one designer for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Lenni Bubi: Any cheap Berlin Neukölln men’s clothing store.

Which celebrity are you dying to dress and why?

Lenni Bubi: Isabelle Huppert. I’d love to create a visual for an icon like her.

Time travel has been perfected – which famous fashion show are you beaming into the front row?

Lenni Bubi: Maison Margiela Artisanal AW18.

Who were your fashion icons growing up?

Lenni Bubi: Geishas.

Send the most recent picture/screenshot on your camera roll.

Lenni Bubi: My friend Lea and I at a festival.

What’s a backhanded compliment about your work that you’ll never forget?

Lenni Bubi: One of my professors at my university told me a few years ago that I ‘homosexualise women’. That’s still a riddle to me.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned the hard way?

Lenni Bubi: You should always listen to your gut. Trusting and believing in yourself is extremely scary and can feel really lonely, but it’s what truly nurtures you in the end.

Who would play you in the film of your life? And why?

Lenni Bubi: Tom Hardy, bruh. He would get it.

Any fashion guilty pleasures?

Lenni Bubi: Sweatpants and no underwear.