15. October 2026
The site of the future Southbank urban district on the right bank of the Danube transformed into a distinctive fashion stage on 30 September. The 13th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Live! opened with the freier powered by Ploom show, during which designer Terézia Feňovčíková presented her new menswear collection, mayhem.
Fashion entered the location in two different forms. During the day, a fashion editorial featuring the freier collection was photographed on Southbank’s distinctive installation. In the evening, the same collection was presented in an open-air show that brought movement, light, music and the energy of the audience into the area.
The industrial character of the space beneath the bridge, its monumental pillars and the surrounding natural environment were more than a backdrop. They became part of the show’s overall visual expression, connecting contemporary Slovak fashion, architecture and the future transformation of the site. Over the course of one day, Southbank demonstrated its potential through both the detail of a fashion editorial and the dynamic energy of an evening runway show.
The mayhem collection was inspired by David Fincher’s 1999 film Fight Club and its themes of consumerism, identity and inner conflict. The individual looks moved from corporate sterility through chaotic trash-chic to strict uniformity. Layered silhouettes were complemented by linen, cotton, wool, Tencel and laminated cotton, as well as batik patterns, floral and animal motifs, distinctive perforations and thread-based structures.
The show followed the MBFL! meet & greet held in September, which marked the first presentation of the collaboration between Penta Real Estate, Southbank and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Live!. The partnership introduced a new cultural format to the location and demonstrated how the site of a future urban district can develop its own content and identity even before construction begins.
Penta Real Estate has been opening Southbank to the public for a second season. Bufet 24 has become a natural meeting point, while runners, cyclists, families and visitors looking to spend time near the Danube regularly use the area. The programme also includes the regular Piatkovica running sessions, sports activities and community events. The fashion editorial and the freier show added another layer to the existing programme and presented Southbank in a completely new context.
Southbank is a planned mixed-use urban district that will bring housing, workplaces, services, retail, greenery and new public spaces to the area. Its urban concept was created by the international studios Snøhetta and Studio Egret West in collaboration with the Bratislava-based gro architekti. With abundant greenery incorporated into both the buildings and public spaces, the architecture is designed to respond naturally to the character of the location and its proximity to the Danube.
The daytime photoshoot and evening show demonstrated that the life of a future district can begin before its first buildings are completed. For one day, Southbank came alive through fashion, creativity and people, confirming that the identity of a new urban area can be shaped by cultural experiences and community from the very beginning.
