Some hundreds of years ago, Frederick William II walked between the pillars of the Brandenburg Gate, but since July 2011, it has been the kingdom of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Last week, the most stylish fashionistas and designers walked through the gate for MBFW Berlin 2013.
Although Berlin’s fashion week is still relatively young in comparison to its more mature counter parts, Milan, Paris, New York, and London, the wildly popular fashion scene here in Berlin is known for it’s innovative, young and creative talent. This year, the MBFW fall/winter collections featured upwards of 50 designers, and the schedule was packed with runway, studio shows, showrooms, and wild hedonistic after-parties.
BLAENK had their newest collection on display in a still, brightly lit showroom with the sounds of birds chirping in the background. The fall collection is undoubtedly romantic. It experiments with sheer, layered materials, and cream and white color combinations. Highlights from the latest line were the knitted and lace embellishments added to beautifully form fitting suits, resulting in a modern feminine look. The chilling Berlin winter was left behind after stepping into the secret garden of BLAENK’s studio.
A definite highlight from this years F/W was Berlin-based designer, Anne Gorke’s latest collection “Nightingales.” Gorke’s elegant collection contained elements of darkness and innocence. Sharp lines combined with a feminine schoolgirl touch. The sheer delicate tops, highwaisted skirts, and knee-high socks were incredibly reminiscent of David Lynch’s iconic Audrey Horn from Twin Peaks. Indeed one of Gorke’s biggest influences for her latest collection was David Lynch. Very spot on. Although “Nightingales” worked often with a darker palette, the gold high-waisted skirts and tops were a stunning compliment.
Irina Schrotter, a celebrated Romanian designer, is no novice to Berlin’s fashion week. She showed her latest collection “Immersed Self,” inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s Persona. Dark multi-layered gowns, which sat beautifully in combination with the jagged glacier-like jewelry complimenting the design of the dress, stood out on the runway.
Issever Bahri is a Berlin-based label, inspired by the duo’s home countries, Greece and Turkey. Their fall collection often combined fine diaphanous material draped over a loosely fitted suit pant or complimented by a knit oversized sweater or jacket. The combination of colors and material were both subtle and realize a fully wearable modern look.
From the models to the music, David Tomaszewski’s new collection “Hanging Trees” emanated a dark and seductive underworld feel. Presenting his first ever jewelry collection, the primarily black- and carbon-colored clothing was often ornamented with a copper belt at the waist. Influenced by the work of a London-based sculptor, Kevin Francis Gray, “Hanging Trees” was both disarming and elegant in its presentation.
We saw this season a lot of play between darker colors in combination with soft-white and off-white, ornamented with knit embellishments or jagged jewelry. Often a masculine shape would be given a feminine touch. There was a lot of reference to knit tops, dresses, and leather. Everything down to the wedge of the heel to the high-neck coats resulted in an overall streamline look, which is perfect for fall/winter, and also speaks to the style of Berlin.
