While it might not be one of the big four fashion weeks, Berlin is quickly rising in the ranks. Where the festivities have always celebrated the unusual and avant garde, they are now graciously accepting the limelight and reveling in commercial success with over 50 on-schedule shows and presentations. Not to say that the week was devoid of the raw, uninhibited talent we’re used to from the German capital but with celebrity appearances, including one by Marc Jacobs, and high-profile events, this season was a turning point in Berlin’s rise to fashion fame.
Polish designer Dawid Tomaszewski has been a name to watch over the past few seasons and this presentation certainly lived up to the buzz. With models on rotating platforms, gothic romantic silhouettes that are sure to keep people talking replaced the harsh architectural lines from last season.
Proportion and symmetry reigned supreme at Hein Le’s presentation. While the designer already has a loyal fan base for his minimalist designs, this season Le was inspired by family photos from the seventies and it was evident in the pairing of clean Asian-inspired silhouettes with softer, neo-classical draping and construction.
Known as Berlin’s own enfant terrible, Patrick Mohr showed a more restrained show than his usual parades of homeless street youth and other such provocative displays. There was an architectural quality to his designs this season and while his models still carried an air of impeding provocation, the collection showed a more mature Mohr.
Another designer whose ancestry served as inspiration was Dimitri with his flowing Grecian gowns and gladiator-like leather harnesses. Inspired by the Greek and Roman Empires, the Greek-Italian designer worked with a palette of warm neutrals with the exception of an unexpected finale of sea blue and burnt amber.
More mainstream shows such as Hugo (above left), Diesel, and Escada Sport (above, right), while less exciting than some of the week’s more innovative showings, brought a commercial quality to the week that reflects the Berlin’s high-profile sponsorship from Mercedes Benz and the city’s position as a rising commercial fashion destination.
Photos: WWD, WENN.com
