The Berlin fashion world has ambitious goals. It is not about competing with Paris and imitating other fashion cities, but about making the German capital a fashion capital, in line with the oft-stated and oft-repeated goal of the German Fashion Council (FCG). Sponsorship of Berlin Fashion Week (BFW).
To restore Berlin to its former glory as the epicenter of German fashion, but above all to bring the city to the attention of the world public, the German Fashion Council, in collaboration with the Department of Economy, Energy and Industry of the Berlin Senate, has his efforts focused on the promotion of young talent. - perhaps also to link them to the German capital, as former Berlin talents such as GmbH or Ottolinger were recently invited to Paris Fashion Week.
What is Berlin fashion?
"Berlin has a history," said FCG President Christian Arp when he opened the fashion week, underlining what the first day of the fashion week already proved: it is about both the artistic performances and the architecture of the city, which often succeeded in stealing. the spotlight of the main attractions: fashion. In addition to the abundance of fashion, the week offered a sightseeing tour of Berlin, which, thanks to a packed program and a tour bus, took on the character of a trip of the fashion class and set the tone for an already diverse and sometimes controversial BFW. The first day.
The focus of Fashion Week is on the winners of the Berlin Contemporary concept competition launched by the Senate and FCG in January. A total of 18 winners, including four Ukrainian brands that have helped shape and politicize Fashion Week since last season, received €25,000 each to hold a show during BFW.
Ukrainian brand Bobkova from designer Kristina Babkova opened this week. In the heart of the city's Museum Island, in Kronprinzen Palace Park, he presented a collection in subtle but understated soft pastels, floral prints and flowing dresses contrasted with silhouettes with a masculine twist. Whoever thought later that this first show would set the optical tone of the week was wrong, because we went from the beautiful casual dress of the historical monument on Unter den Linden boulevard to the backyard of the prefab house. On a slightly wobbly catwalk, Platte Sustainability Award winner Melissa Minka presented a challenging and forward-thinking collection full of ideas, but a little shaky in execution. some parts of the compositions gave way to the concept.
After a mini-rave with Lucas Maier-Leclerc, who has dedicated himself to choreography and fashion this season, Odeeh's Otto Drogsler and Jörg Ehrlich closed the first day of BFW at the James Simon Gallery with a colorful and glittering collection; to conclude a day that foretold the contrasting plan of the coming days.
Commercial appeal and concept statements
Shows with an obvious commercial appeal, such as the collection of the Ukrainian label Podykh, were found during fashion week performances, especially known for their basic concept and staging, such as Acceptance Letter Studio or the designer Iryna Yus, also Ukrainian. The latter presented its literally transformative line in the Feuerle Collection, a restored World War II bunker. Her compatriot Liliya Litkovskaya's performance at Kraftwerk was relatively ineffective, both in terms of stage and venue selection. Nevertheless, the collection, with its striking clean lines and impeccable craftsmanship, was a catwalk favourite. And that's without a lot of fluff and seats.
Sets like Litkovska's prove that Berlin can do more than the already outdated stereotypes of Berghain's techno temples, although not forgotten this season, but refined. The design duo of Richert Beil, Jayle Richert and Michelle Beil, therefore presented a collection that challenged gender roles by encasing them in latex and leather without necessarily the connotations usually associated with materials, particularly leather, craftsmanship and impeccable tailoring. to wake up. The collection, titled "Daddy Bear", which was shown in an old supermarket, not only easily combined pin-up costumes, rockers, BDSM elements and granny lace veils, but also made the combination desirable. The title of the collection may be a reference to the collection's "fatherly" elements, such as the spiky suit, but the religious tone was absent, although far less provocative than Nan Lee and Emilia Pfohl's religious-demon collection, which Namilia note that a stir and a scream - both excited and angry.
While most shows do not reveal the upcoming season's fashions behind closed doors, the Kronprinzenpalais was filled with fans of the brand before Namilia's show. Designer clothes lovers and the curious are a common sight in other fashion capitals, but this season in Berlin was still a rarity. Only Namilia could create such a stir, although other domestic designers deserved at least the same attention. Incredibly elegant, cheerful, but at the same time very challenging, the collection was presented in the corridors of the Kronprinzenpalais to a diverse audience consisting of professional press, local celebrities and fans of the brand.
Accompanied by the song "In Loving Memory of My Sugar Daddy," several Namilia models paid tribute to their seemingly deceased patron. The collection's signature name spoke for itself, featuring opulent new labels like Juicy Couture-inspired tracksuits that met old-school classics like Hermès' signature Birkin bag casually transformed into skirts. and peaks. According to the show notes, the 50 pieces were inspired by "legends of haute couture like Cristobal Balenciaga and Christian Dior," but got lost in a sea of latex, bare skin and Catholic iconography. However, the loud phrases and theatrics definitely created a buzz among the audience as no other show was characterized by so many screams, groans and applause.
Young talents lick blood. The promising future of Berlin
While Namilia was already raging with diversity, inclusivity and provocative fashion in January, BFW was an impressive debut for Milk of Line. The design duo, who studied together at the Royal Academy of Antwerp and then showcased their skills at Givenchy in Paris, literally took guests to the stars in the Zeiss Major Planetarium. Her debut collection The Dozen, an earthy color palette and a mix of leather and sheer flowing fabrics, combines an idyllic country look with the grit of the big city. Some of his designs bear some resemblance to Louis de Saint-Sernin's first and only collection for Belgian fashion house Ann Demeulemeester, but it is unclear whether this collection will be the duo's last.
Rosa Margo Dahl and her label SF1OG are one of Berlin's most promising fashion figures. Although the name of the brand may be an almost insurmountable puzzle for many foreign visitors, the potential for a sustainable label became clear as soon as the first piano sounds were heard at the Ludwig Erhard house. Dahl's design language combines a certain gloom that many associate with the aesthetics of the German capital, adding a touch of lightness and nostalgia, especially through the combination of materials such as vintage lace and recycled leather. The 21:16-3-1 collection, previously presented at the Berlin Stock Exchange, was dedicated to horse riding and the creator's childhood memories, but the result was not childish at all, despite the wooden horseshoes in the form of handbags. The brand's logo, a kind of inverted G, was more present than ever in this collection, announcing the commercial, but no less creative direction of SF1OG and Berlin fashion.
Even before the start of BFW, designer William Phan presented his first documentary "William Phan - Between" at Delphi Filmpalast. The film has since been made available in the ARD library and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful world of the designer, who proudly presented his exquisite collection during Fashion Week at the Gropius Bau. That the fan show was one of fashion week's most sophisticated shows was evident from the moment you entered the building, where you could find a photo wall for guests, a rarity in Berlin, and flashlights to show the celebrities in attendance. to find. Feng, like the rest of fashion week, was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, but even without the lucrative collaboration, the designer's collection would likely have turned into one of SS24's most emotional, colorful and subtly political shows like Feng. secretly waving the rainbow flag.
Under the name "Ceremony", the designer presented the collection, with the symbolism of pride, but removed all visual clichés and divided the famous flag into separate parts. Full of bows in rainbow colors, a logo shirt that says "You are a friend of Dorothy," a nod to the Wizard of Oz, prints that became bridal bouquets for the bride and groom, and fashions that celebrated every occasion. Detailed choreography based on Guns'n'Roses "November Rain".
The entire fashion week under the auspices of the German Fashion Council was a celebration of young Berlin talents. The designers proved that Berlin, with all its disparities, has great potential to become a fashion city, especially for those looking for fashion that reflects an energetic image and sees diversity not as a trend, but as ' a natural phenomenon. .
It is still unclear whether Berlin will enter the fashion calendar and in the distant future will not only be considered as the fifth wheel to New York, London, Milan and Paris, but also as a serious metropolis of fashion and young talents. . the capital deserves it.
FashionUnited was invited to Berlin Fashion Week by the German Fashion Council.
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. Translated and edited by Rachel Douglas.
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