There is simply something irresistible about the East. East Berlin is the reason why the city earns its uber-cool reputation and even 20 years after the fall of the Wall the distinction between the two parts of the city is obvious and incredible. Don’t even get me started about East London- that’s my most beloved part of my favorite city, so you get the picture. Yet, it has It had been almost a year since I had ordered a DVD with this movie from a friend in Berlin and it has been collecting dust on my CD shelve, untouched, unopened ever since.

It beats me why it took me so long to finally get to watch it- considering that the subject of the movie is so interesting. I mean, just hear this: a former DDR fashion model Marco Wilms made a movie about underground fashion scene in East Berlin in the ’80. Just this short plot description was enough for me to place an order. When I got it, I was almost ecstatic with anticipation. And then I put it on the mentioned shelve and forgot about it.

Thank God for the flu- few nights ago, I finally clicked Play and was instantly transferred with my sofa, blanket and tea cup to dark, sharp and yet so naïvely innocent People’s Democratic fashion front.

I know that most of young fashion designers in Serbia - and to be fair- justly so, complain about the lack of support, troubles with obtaining good materials, undeveloped market…so it is even more refreshing to take a peak into a scene where fashion was the way of resistance, where couture has been handcrafted out of shower curtains and plastic used for covering strawberries and where you could get arrested for specially outrageous hairdos (before the Sartorialist, there were surveillance cameras on Alexander Platz, instantly detecting any too style-aware youngster) . When authorities complained that the poor people of DDR were not able to afford the outfits presented on catwalk, a then popular fashion designer had an idea to throw patterns into audience from the stage- I would love to see that happening today, in Belgrade or anywhere else- how cool is that?!

And the lovely paradox of unbelievable artistic freedom– transvestite striptease on the national TV as a part of a fashion show. Or, my by far favorite part – fashion shooting on a nudist beach, with models presenting flamboyant ‘80s aesthetic to the backdrop of nude beach-goers, again aired on the national TV channel without anybody’s blink of an eye. In order for fashion to be an art you either have to be outrageously rich or not to have any money at all and this movie is a true testament to that.

If this was a movie critic, I would have to say that the movie lacked consistent structure and that its second half was a bit of a downer after a promising and inspiring beginning. But as we all know, it is not and I can write about anything I want. So, even if it is two stars in my final ranking of the movie itself, imagery and good spirits earn it the maximum five, two thumbs up and “not to miss it!” note all in once.

A dare to any fashion editor today - shooting on a nudist beach!

…“IT IS NOT A FUCKING PHOTOSHOP” is the name of this interesting project I wanted to tell you all about. I mean- admit it- it really does need its no-nonsense title, as on the first glance the photos do look as something an idle graphic designer has been developing on his Mac to impress a professor. Nope! This has all been created, cut, attached and photographed by Sasa Aleksander, a boy with a biography as interesting as his many talents. Born in Sarajevo, living not less but in Japan, cooperating with Canadian fashion designers, mentioned by Diane Pernet herself, this is not a guy who could easily be described in a sentence. However, of all his interesting projects I have chosen this one, simply because it looks so different from anything I have ever seen. Of course, there is a background concept of identity issues in modern world, but if you are not into some heavy thinking at this moment, I would advise you to just sit back and enjoy the playful illusion of these works. This is no fucking fashion, one might argue, but just wait a minute! Before you complain, think about this: isn’t fashion, among other things, as the name suggests, the way one fashions one’s appearance? And how do you know this kind of stuff will not be a hot trend for Spring Summer season 2099? I thought so.

When Exit enters the stage, for four days everything else becomes a little bit irrelevant and kind of blah. The real stuff is happening at Petrovaradin Fortress, so if you are still not there, you are missing out tremendously. Forget the headliner lists - although it would be a good enough reason to put your festival mood on and start meandering through the fortress, the main reason why Exit is so central for many of us each summer is the atmosphere created by its easygoing, happy and friendly “citizens”. They come from all over the place, bringing in their own tastes in music, fun and fashion, so some people watching is a part of amusement.

My favorites are the costumed ones. If you had been there a couple of years ago, I bet you remember the two guys dressed as giant bananas. These brave fruits resisted heat, crowd and impulses to dance freely for four days, and they deserve a special praise for mastering the art of costumed Toi- Toi usage (montage toilets we love to hate at Exit). Let’s also mention a legion of full-on Romans that one year enthusiastically conquered stage after stage. Gorillas, wigs, balloons, cross-dressing- Exit seems to have seen it all.

This year, there was a white polar bear spotting on Elektrana stage. And a mole (though there is some controversy- according to some opinions it was a rather strange monkey) has been seen dancing in the popular Mordor, or Dance Arena if you prefer.

On Exit, everybody and anything goes, but if there was any dress code for all music festivals, it would have to be - rubber boots. In case of Exit, the “It” rubber boot would be domestic, Tigar ones, that have started as fishermen and farmer utility wear until somebody had an idea to start producing them in colors other then black and olive. Tigar boots can be bought in small, obscure, industrial stores that complete the experience and that are, days before the festival, usually packed with festival-goers, who roam the store side by side with auto-mechanics.

These no-nonsense handmade boots are a bit tongue-in-cheek and on many nights, in case of sudden summer storms, definitely have saved more “lives” then any DJ.

Today is a new day, tonight you have a new chance to have the best time in your life on Exit festival, so don’t miss it. Keep your eyes open, 'cause if you see someone interesting- a new animal, vegetable or who-knows-what – we would love to know about that!