Berlin-based fashion student Lenni Bubi doesn’t sketch from moodboards. He walks the city with headphones on, letting house music shape his ideas, and returns to his studio with designs already formed in his mind. His latest creation—a chocolate-brown latex skirt embedded with functioning speakers—has drawn attention far beyond the Universität der Künste (UdK), where he remains months away from his final exam.
The woofer skirt that went viral
The garment, part of his graduate collection, is a sleek, figure-hugging slip with subwoofers built directly into the fabric. Videos of dirt vibrating on its surface spread quickly online, turning the piece into an unexpected internet hit. For Bubi, the response was less about validation and more about reaching a broader audience—one that included both admirers and skeptics.
“It showed me what kind of bubble I exist in,” he said. “The people around me mostly react positively. But going viral exposes you to very different opinions. Being confronted with negative or critical comments is useful, too. In the end, I really do want to make people feel something—that’s what my work is about.”
The skirt wasn’t an immediate success. Bubi spent months researching speaker mechanics, testing materials, and refining prototypes. His studio eventually resembled a cluttered lab, filled with wires and half-finished experiments. The technical challenge was difficult, but the process felt natural. “Integrating all these tech elements actually felt right,” he said.
Designing without purpose
Bubi’s approach to fashion rejects convention. He calls his work “analytical,” absorbing influences from his surroundings and blending references that don’t typically mix. The results often unsettle viewers. For him, that reaction is intentional.
“I find peace in creating things that have no need to exist,” he explained. “Removing the purpose frees me. I’m a dreamer, and I try to invite others to do the same through my work.”
“I love mixing references that probably shouldn’t meet and creating visuals that can feel uncomfortable at times,” he said.
A non-linear path
Bubi’s journey to fashion wasn’t straightforward. As a child, he wanted to be a dancer. Later, he discovered teenage sketches of “strange bodily contraptions”—early signs of the sculptural, wearable experiments he creates now. Still, his work hasn’t always been understood.
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One remark from a professor has stayed with him: the sentiment that his work carried a particular perspective on gender or aesthetics. “I still don’t get it,” he admitted.
For now, Bubi is focused on the future. Graduation is approaching, but the uncertainty doesn’t worry him. “I hope I find a way to pursue this on my own,” he said. “Even though it seems daunting, I definitely want to chase my dreams.”
When asked who should play him in a biopic, he didn’t hesitate: “Tom Hardy, bruh. He’d understand.”
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