As an answer to the question with which we started the article, we will say that it is TOTALLY YES, and even more so after the last edition of Berlin Fashion Week (BFW), which took place between the 10th and 13th of July. During 4 days, the German capital became the absolute epicenter of the fashion industry, where numerous editors from different countries did not hesitate for a second to come to the call of the organisation in charge of this event, the German Fashion Council, to get to know the new trends and enjoy the proposals of German designers.
Berlin has always been a very interesting destination, but it is true that, as far as fashion and fashion week are concerned, it has changed for the better and has become an obligatory stop. In this development, numerous creators have participated who, with their talent, have managed to make German fashion relevant not only in their own country but also in any part of the world. Some of those who have made this progress possible and those who have most caught our attention are SF1OG, NAMILIA, SIA ARNIKA, RICHERT BEIL, and Milk of Lime, among others. Of course, all of them recently showed their Spring/Summer 24 collections and proved their worth on the Berlin catwalks. We tell you a little about them all below:
SF1OG
The brand founded by Rosa Marga and Jacob was clear about what it wanted to achieve with its latest show, to elevate German fashion and to thrill the audience with its Spring/Summer 24 collection called “21: 16-3-1”. These two goals were successfully achieved, and the walls of the Ludwig Erhard Haus (where the show was held) were part of it. The live piano music helped the audience to connect even more with the line, which showed typically diverse and gender-neutral looks, dominated by androgynous silhouettes, black and white colors, leather and lace fabrics. All of the looks on offer reflected various fashion references to traditional equestrian sports, such as horse dummies, muddy riding boots, or whips, something the creative director told us about when we had the pleasure of interviewing her.
Photos by MATEO NAVARRO in exclusive for FY!
Namilia
Namilia’s show was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated of Berlin fashion week, and we realized that as soon as we arrived at the location chosen for the presentation. At the doors of an emblematic building of the city, hundreds of people (all dressed in the purest Berlin style) were waiting anxiously to get inside and not miss what was about to happen.
If the show and collection, entitled “In Loving Memory of My Sugar Daddy”, was anything to go by, it was the confidence of the models as they wore the brand’s garments, which reflected political opinions, dreams, convictions, and conflicts brought together in a unique, progressive and finely crafted haute couture. In addition to this, it cannot be overlooked how present Nan and Emilia, creative directors and founders of the brand, had the concept of diversity, something to be valued very positively nowadays.
Congratulations girls for this, and for contributing to the elimination of the cliché of the gold-digger.
Photos by Haydon Perrior
SIA ARNIKA
Related to SIA ARNIKA, the designer decided to take us to a unique enclave, located on the outskirts of Berlin and reminiscent of the lakes surrounded by dream houses found in the Nordic countries, where the designer keeps part of her roots. Her show was held inside a house that was there, adorned with green plants, and whose space was set in a film or photography studio, through which the models began to walk.
There were 20 looks in total, mostly for women, and only 4 for men, the fruit of an exploration of the meaning of memory through traditional and modern fabrics and serving as a tribute to freedom. Little by little Arnika seems to be taking her fear out of men’s fashion. In the wardrobe proposed by Sia, there was no lack of zipped jackets combined with shorts; jumpers, and sweatshirts with cut-outs combined with tailored trousers (short or long); or long coats. S.A. honors the past and embraces the future, in which many of its pieces will surely be present.
Photos by Haydon Parrior
RICHERT BEIL
With RICHERT BEIL, it was more or less the same as with Namilia. You could tell that the Berliners themselves, who were waiting at the doors of the former supermarket where the new collection was presented, were more than eager to find out all about “Father, Our”, the name given to the brand’s latest work.
In this line, the designer duo composed of Jale and Michele decided to question the social, cultural, and political systems that favor men and perpetuate gender oppression. The designs presented deconstructed traditional menswear into conceptual pieces, subverting familiar silhouettes and styles with unconventional materials and design techniques. All of these traits were seen in the pieces in the collection, which ranged from tailoring to vintage underwear and presented in a way that blurs traditional notions of the male wardrobe and contemporary definitions of masculinity and femininity.
Contemporary means that it belongs to the era in which one lives, and something impossible to ignore nowadays is sustainability. Therefore, it has been given the importance it deserves and all kinds of recycled, organic or BCI-certified fabrics have been used for the manufacture of the garments. The highlight of the season is the hand-embroidered antique fabrics that represent the role of the “perfect housewife” while addressing social oppression from then until now.
As a curiosity of this collection, the designers teamed up with New York-based jewelry designer Mara Peralta to transform together old used metal pieces left over from saddles and horse tack.
Photos by Haydon Parrior
Milk of Lime
Finally, do you believe us if we tell you that we attended a show inside a planetarium? Let’s hope so because we did. Everyone (and when we say everyone, it means absolutely everyone) was amazed at such a place and thinking: what is going to happen here?
The experience was surprising and exciting, to say the least, given that after several minutes of waiting, thousands of stars suddenly began to be projected on the ceiling and the models with the looks belonging to the “Dozen” collection, which encapsulate the seductive imperfections of outdoor spaces and are the result of an exhaustive investigation into the captivating themes of nature, decadence, transience, imperfect beauty, and poetry, began to appear with a firm and rapid pace. The materials, the captivating colours, and the silhouettes used in the pieces reflect all of the above.
Photos by Finnegan Godenschweger
Do you agree with us that Berlin Fashion Week deserves more attention than it gets? You already know our opinion, and we’re honestly looking forward to the next one because the level is rising by leaps and bounds.
