Balloons, Bubble Skirts and a Charity Flight Over the Danube

„Ob als gerundeter Rocksaum, skulpturaler Ärmel oder weit geschnittene Hose mit schmal zulaufendem Abschluss" – the range is broad. For 2026, the form will be reinterpreted, according to Zach: „Statt nostalgischer Romantik steht heute eine zeitgemäße, beinahe architektonische Leichtigkeit im Mittelpunkt". International brands and ateliers rely on refined volume constructions, technical fabrics, poplin, organza or taffeta.

Architecture Instead of Nostalgia

Those who wear the new pieces should not simply fold them. „Nach dem Tragen sollten Ballonärmel und Bubble-Röcke nicht flach zusammengelegt werden", rät der Beitrag. Instead, it is advisable to loosely stuff them with tissue paper, an old cotton T-shirt or a soft cloth and store them hanging. This way the volumes retain their shape.

Alongside the textile balloon, the hot air balloon plays a role – literally, in the oldest aircraft in human history. „Zu Gunsten Licht ins Dunkel ersteigerte der Pressbaumer Immobilien-Experte Rudi Dräxler bei Sport am Sonntag eine Ballonfahrt mit Biathlonweltmeisterin Lisa Hauser", heißt es in dem Bericht. The prize along with the balloon pilot was provided by the Austrian Armed Forces.

From the Fabric Balloon into the Air

Along the Danube, the journey went together with his son Daniel Dräxler from Krems to Tulln. The ride ended with a so-called Hofratslandung – a special, because rare, outcome in which the basket tips over. „Urkundlich ausgezeichnet als ‚Graf Rudi mit der Morgensonne reisender Luftkutscher von Krems'", fasst der Beitrag das Ereignis augenzwinkernd zusammen.

The name "Viva Forever" appears in another, independent context: the 2021 film "Viva Forever", a tragicomedy. In it „malt sich Francesca (Natalia Rudziewicz) ihren alljährlichen Sommerurlaub mit ihren alten Schulfreundinnen" am Gardasee aus. „Dass sich die Clique eigentlich längst auseinandergelebt hat, will in der Tragikomödie ‚Viva Forever' (2021) zunächst niemand so wirklich wahrhaben", so der Begleittext. Subtitle of the section: „(K)ein Sommer wie jeder andere".

Viva Forever – Clique at Lake Garda

Both strands – fashion text and charity report – meet in the image of the balloon: sometimes as fabric that creates distance from the body, sometimes as a flying device that overcomes distance from the ground. Both times it is about lightness, visibility and about a conscious gesture – whether with fabric or with a charity flight.

For readers, this means: anyone who wants to try bubble skirts, poplin skirts or balloon sleeves should plan the right storage right from the start. And anyone who sees the next hot air balloon in the sky may know that the ride along the Danube this time was not only scenically, but also caritatively, a rare experience.