Berlin: urban and edgy

ON JULY 6, Mercedes Fashion Week Berlin staged its ninth season in the urban, edgy German capital city. The summer and spring collections were presented in a tent on Strasse des 17 Juni with the main entrance to the tent facing the most famous landmark of the city, Brandenburg Gate. Bread and Butter, the leading international trade fair for street and urban wear also took place from July 6 to 8 at Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport.

Together with the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology, and Women’s Issues, Berlin Partner GmbH also supported the events of Berlin Fashion Week. While the Senate Department co-finances individual formats, Berlin Partner markets the capital city as an emerging fashion metropolis and leading business location.

The week was packed full of events, with dozens of designers and showcases filling every possible timeslot. Said Maia Guarnaccia, Vice President of IMG Fashion Europe, ‘Even with the increase in timeslots with the addition of the Studio presentation space, our schedule is at the maximum amount of shows possible in the facility.’ With designers such as Allude, Basler, Dimitri and Lena Hoschek included in the line-up for the week, the clothes reflected the attitude that Berlin is known for: edgy yet chic.

Much of Allude’s summer collection featured cool colours and symmetrical designs with classic pieces that can be worn again and again. Standouts from the collection included a white floor-length dress with a modest crew neck cut offset by the dramatic front slit, a silver ensemble with a front zip, cinched waist and short skirt, perfect for those hot summer nights spent clubbing in Berlin’s never-ending array of nightclubs. The nude high-waisted skirt ande-shoulder bandeau piece also wowed the audience and brought back memories of 1950s-era bathing suits with a twist. Stripes also played a significant role in the collection, the striped hooded cardi dresses providing that fun yet casual air that Berlin can also be known to have.

Basler’s collection focused much more on the animal prints, adding an element of ferocious sexiness to the catwalk. The silken dress with the two-toned leopard print proved a hit, appealing to those in the audience who were looking for that perfect outfit for Berlin’s chic nightclubs while the leopard top and black high-waisted shorts complete with gold zippers perfect for that a day out on the town. The front-cinched little black dress reinvented what we all know as the essential staple to any woman’s closet and the metallic gold skirt paired with the black blazer with gold zippers is perfect for that business event.

Dimitri (above right and below) tended towards a summery chic in his collection, pairing flowing and classic cuts with neutral pieces, scattered with the occasional vibrant dress. The delicate metallic sand dress complete with a black belt and crew-cut neckline exudes class while accentuating delicate collarbones and long legs. Sheer fabric paired with delicate linen also proved a hit with the cream coloured dress taking on a flirty personality, contrasting heavily with the vibrant, body-hugging mermaid-esque blue ballgown. The white high-waisted, knee-length skirt coupled with the sheer white blouse looked both professional and seductive, perfect for any woman who wants to spice up her wardrobe a bit.

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Dimitri

Michael Sontag

Allude

Basler


Lena Hoschek

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A resurgent Berlin
Vicki Matias gives her round-up of Berlin’s autumn–winter 2011–12 collections, with confidence the underlying theme
photographed by Maurice Luckett/Fashion Aviator and Anna-Priska Hübsch