Novi Pazar, Serbia — The 2026 edition of the Mikser Festival wrapped up this weekend, transforming Novi Pazar from June 5 to 7 into an epicenter of international innovation, youth empowerment, and cross-cultural exchange. Grounded in the vision of a collaborative “New World,” the three-day event united local youth with emerging creatives from across Europe.
Hosted in Serbia’s youngest demographic hub, the festival kicked off with the Next Gen Design Residency, sparking high-energy, visionary collaborations among participants.
A highlight of the festival was the Next Gen Design Edu Talks series, featuring leading minds across fashion, architecture, and technology who challenged rising talents to redefine contemporary design. The speakers were Ivan Kucina – Architect, founder of the School of Urban Practices (Serbia/Italy); Henriëtte Waal – Artistic leader of Veenweide Atelier/co-founder of Atelier Luma (The Netherlands); Amina Hasanbegovic – Fashion designer, founder of Atelier AH (Serbia); Richard van der Laken – Co-founder of fashion label LAECKEN / co-founder of WDCD Amsterdam (The Netherlands); and Bojana Nikitovic – Costume designer, (Serbia / USA).
Upper photo: Edu Talk Session Two: The Story of LAECKEN — Richard van der Laken, co-founder of fashion label LAECKEN and What Design Can Do (The Netherlands); Threads of the Imagination — Bojana Nikitović, costume designer (Serbia / USA) and From Pazar with Love — Amina Hasanbegović, fashion designer and founder of Atelier AH (Serbia). Lower photo: Maja Lalic Creative Director of Mikser opening the Next Gen Design Edu Talks Session 2.
To anchor the discussions locally, architect Semir Poturak led participants through an immersive exploration of Novi Pazar’s architectural heritage, as well as its social and cultural contexts, providing historical depth that directly informed the residency’s design output.
Bringing the vision directly to the public, an open-air Traveling Exhibition “Futures Worth Living” took over the city’s main square, highlighting the bold concepts of the 50 winners of the Next Gen Design Open Call 2026. The installation invited passersby to explore these creative concepts while serving as a powerful tribute — with the exhibition’s setup symbolically echoing protest banners to remind citizens of their local youth’s courage and contribution to nationwide student protests.
