Fashion designer Danny Reinke presented his A/W 2023 collection titled  "GRIEVED SERENITY" as part of Berlin Fashion Week.

Berlin, January 20, 2022–Danny Reinke presented his latest prêt-à-couture fall/winter collection 23/24 "GRIEVED SERENITY" with men’s and women’s looks. The collection was a tribute to brown bears. The presentation was a statement against the sadistic keeping and training of bears for the sake of entertainment. 

"We humans invent ever more absurd forms of entertainment and we do it at any cost. We don't even stop at animals and accept that they are hurt and tortured for the purpose of our entertainment." notes Reinke.

Despite the ban on dancing bears in the EU and the tireless efforts of animal welfare organizations, this cruel practice to animals still continues. Using heated metal plates, pokes and other torture methods, dancing bears are forced to follow predetermined movement patterns. Music plays during this process. The animals suffer pain and fear, with the goal of entertaining people.

The confrontation with extremes was at the center of his latest collection. Reflecting on the beauty of these tortured animals, he translates his sorrow for this form of execution into his aesthetic and form, by manipulating fabrics, using rough hardware (zippers, eyelets, chains, buckles) and ruffles, he integrated asymmetrical shapes as well as straight silhouettes.

In this new collection, Danny Reinke worked primarily with upcycled materials, such as leather, wool, and silk. The color brown frames the entire collection and lines up with an earthy color palette. This includes different shades of brown, beige, and gray, with golden accents, subtle patterns, and color interruptions.

A portion of the proceeds will go to Müritz Bärenwald, an animal welfare project run by VIER PFOTEN, that offers bears an alternative in near-natural enclosures where the bears can live out their natural lives.

As part of the W.E4. FASHION DAY, an official format of the BERLIN FASHION WEEK supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in cooperation with the Fashion Council Germany.