Logo Fashion.at

8 March 2026

The Last Days of Disco: Gina Drewes Reflects Changing Nightlife in Menswear

Model in bouclé jacket and trousers from Gina Drewes 'Last Days of Disco' menswear collection on nightclub dance floor.

A collection shaped by nightlife memories

The menswear collection The Last Days of Disco by Austrian designer Gina Drewes can be read as reflecting changing nightlife and club culture, especially in Austria. Rather than linking the designs strictly to a traditional fashion season, the collection follows a growing tendency in contemporary fashion: garments are connected more to the moment of their creation and presentation than to a specific seasonal wardrobe. Presented from the designer's headquarters and boutique in Velden am Wörthersee in Austria, the collection appears almost like a visual timeline of club culture. The title itself evokes the fading cultural dominance of the disco era, once a central meeting point for youth culture. Drewes does not explicitly explain the historical references behind individual pieces. Yet the title creates a framework that encourages viewers to think about nightlife, social habits, and how they evolve.

From the disco era to new nightlife formats

In Austria, discos played a defining role in nightlife during the 1970s and 1980s. Large venues with dance floors and mainstream music attracted broad audiences and often served as key social meeting points. Over time, this model began to change. In cities such as Vienna, specialized clubs and smaller venues increasingly replaced the traditional large-scale disco. Places like Flex or Sass Music Club represent a more focused club culture with specific music styles and audiences. Large venues such as Praterdome still exist, but they are less dominant than the discos of earlier decades. At the same time, nightlife habits have shifted. Social media, dating apps, and digital communication have partly replaced the disco as a place to meet new people. Younger generations often prefer smaller events, bars, or temporary party formats instead of regular weekly club visits.

Fashion references across decades

The garments in The Last Days of Disco reflect this cultural timeline. Certain pieces evoke earlier decades of nightlife. A batik shirt recalls the experimental style of the 1970s club scene. At the same time, the collection introduces elements that reflect contemporary fashion attitudes. A bouclé jacket paired with matching trousers demonstrates how genderless tailoring has entered modern menswear. The look worn in the campaign image — a structured bouclé jacket and wide bouclé trousers — suggests a relaxed but deliberate silhouette that moves between formal tailoring and casual expression. Another design, the so-called pixel jacket, introduces a digital visual language. Its pattern resembles enlarged pixels, hinting at the role of digital media in shaping modern life and culture.

A generational view of nightlife style

Across the collection, Drewes combines vintage references with contemporary silhouettes. This dialogue between generations has become a recognizable signature of her work. Instead of presenting nostalgia, the collection reads as an observation of changing lifestyles. The title The Last Days of Disco may sound like a farewell, yet it also reflects transformation. Disco culture has not disappeared; it has simply evolved into new forms of nightlife and social interaction. Through textured fabrics, expressive patterns, and relaxed tailoring, Drewes presents menswear that mirrors these cultural shifts. The collection offers a quiet reflection on how style, nightlife, and identity continue to change across generations.


Image: Model wearing a multicolour bouclé jacket and wide bouclé trousers from Gina Drewes’ menswear collection 'The Last Days of Disco,' photographed on an empty nightclub dance floor beneath a disco ball.