Amid a third German lockdown imposed to quell a rise in COVID-19 cases, Italian label Bottega Veneta hosted a fashion show in Berlin club Berghain this weekend. Footage from Soho House, where the after party took place, has made its rounds on social media as face masks and social distancing measures don’t appear to have been strictly enforced.
The fashion show saw Bottega Veneta Creative Director Daniel Lee debut his Salon 2 collection. No social media was allowed in Berghain as per usual, but photos taken outside the club suggest that Honey Dijon, Skepta, Virgil Abloh, Burna Boy, Slowthai, Kwes Darko, and the club’s famous bouncer Sven Marquardt were in attendance.
Virgil Abloh, Honey Dijon, Stefano Pilati , Slowthai, Skepta and more arriving at Bottega Veneta’s secret “Salon 02” Fall 2021 show at Berghain in Berlin, yesterday. No social media was allowed inside the venue. pic.twitter.com/lGTMQlo8eX
— ENFNTS TERRIBLES Magazine (@enfntsterribles) April 10, 2021
In the days that followed, footage taken at the Soho House after party drew controversy on social media. The Instagram videos showed Burna Boy performing without a mask as well as patrons failing to observe guidances. They were soon deleted, but were then re-uploaded on the Instagram account @BottegaVenetNO.
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Outside of rumors, there is thus far no evidence that similarly unrestricted activity took place at Berghain. “We have been in lockdown since November,” wrote German influencer Brenda Weischer in her Instagram story. “Bottega Veneta had a huge production in Berghain for several days (fair enough), but I keep hearing about parties that are said to have taken place at people’s homes or at Soho House afterwards.
Spokespeople on behalf of Berghain and Bottega Veneta have yet to publicly comment on the matter at the time of writing.
Germany is currently struggling to contain a significant COVID-19 surge. Al Jazeera reports that Sunday saw 17,800 new cases and 104 deaths (compared to 12,200 cases and 68 deaths a week prior), of which the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 strain of the virus accounts for 90%. Private gatherings are currently restricted and inhabitants must adhere to a 9:00 PM-5:00 AM curfew.
Lockdowns in Germany could remain in place until late May or mid June, according to Der Tagesspiegel.
