Barkin Bag
text by Lola Titilayo
Desk Dress, fan earrings, the Lockini bralette — each object appears distinct, yet all converge at a single point of origin: Monamobile. Operating at the intersection of fashion, technology, and critique, the Berlin-based designers, Mona Gutheil and Maximilian Benz, propose a mode of dress that is not merely worn, but activated. Their work resists the passive consumption traditionally associated with fashion, instead demanding engagement, interpretation, and, at times, discomfort. By embedding everyday technologies into garments and accessories, monamobile reframes clothing as both utility and critique, offering a sharp commentary on the capitalist systems that structure one’s contemporary life.
A recurring motif throughout their collections is the “wheels on dress” concept, most notably realized in the scooter dress from their 2023 debut collection, You won’t believe. This garment encapsulates monamobile’s approach to duality. Designed to be worn in two distinct ways, and allowing the body to alternate between walking and riding, the scooter dress functions as both clothing and mode of transport, collapsing the boundary between dressing and commuting. The garment reflects what might be described as the dual tiredness of the capitalist world: physical exhaustion from constant movement and psychological fatigue from the pressure to remain productive.
Oscillating between fashion, accessory, and performative statement, the dog dress stands out as an understated yet bold design concept. The contrast between the dress’s neutrality and the disruptive presence of the sculptural dog handbag at the end creates unfamiliarity, reinforcing a sense of intrusion while sustaining the viewer’s curiosity.
A key part of Monamobile’s work is the integration of technology directly into design in a way that feels obvious, physical, and sometimes uncomfortable. Rather than employing a sleek and seamless approach to their pieces, as one might expect, technology is placed very conspicuously on the body. From the mobile chastity belt to light-up pearly nails to a phone worn as a bobble in the hair, these objects become part of how the body is dressed and seen. Technology shifts from something we carry to something we wear. They make the wearer more aware of their being constantly connected, turning everyday technology into something increasingly personalized.
Monamobile’s resistance to conventional fashion structures extends beyond form into production and release strategy. In the fall of 2025, Monamobile took a different approach to fashion and consistency, opting to release a single product each month according to a calendar system. Disrupting the industry’s rhythm of silence between seasonal collections, each release is given space to exist on its own terms — hinting at a future where clothing is designed not just to be seen, but to function, evolve and endure beyond the standard seasonal lifespan.
