Major shows_ memories and buyer favourites: FW26 highlights from Berlin

Following fashion weeks in Paris_ Milan and Copenhagen_ all eyes have been on the German capital in recent days. Berlin Fashion Week has established itself as a hub for emerging talent and a new destination for international brands. It was indeed global labels this season that made up the big names on the calendar. These include the Berlin-based label GmbH and the Japanese brand John Lawrence Sullivan_ which made its debut at the fashion week.

An overview of the highlights and buyer favourites.

Memories

This season_ several brands explored their past and memories. London-based designer Andrej Gronau interpreted the doll's house as a concept for individualism and comfort. He drew on two family memories for this_ taking inspiration for his colourful collection from the interior of an old villa where his grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday. Wall decorations and childlike motifs such as unicorns found their place in it.

Adebayo Oke-Lawal_ the Nigerian designer behind the brand Orange Culture_ recalled past days playing in the garden with his late mother. The inspiration was reflected in the collection through a versatile colour palette with intense tones and prints sketching mother and son. Flowing fabrics and various textures embodied the richness of nature. Macramé pieces_ knotted by a former headmistress in Nigeria_ were particularly striking.

Bobby Kolade_ designer of the circular-oriented label Buzigahill_ drew inspiration for his latest collection from the 1960s and 1970s in East Africa. The central question was why millennials from this part of the world feel nostalgic when they see pictures of their grandparents dancing on a parquet floor or posing in front of a Citroën. The period after countries like Uganda and Kenya gained their independence was characterised by a sense of freedom and new beginnings. Textile factories flourished in both countries_ and wide collars and bell-bottoms were in fashion. Kolade translated this nostalgia into the twelfth part of his _Return to Sender_ collection_ for which he worked with second-hand clothing from the Ownio Market in Kampala_ the capital of Uganda. The clothes mostly come from Europe_ the US and Asia_ where they are to be returned after his design process. Patchwork_ knotting techniques and mixed materials dominated the looks.

Fashionable sounds

The Berlin-based label GmbH looked back at its own history_ spanning 10 years_ which is marked by “the refusal – or perhaps rather the compulsive inability – to remain silent in the face of the atrocities in the world_” according to the show notes. The current collection is intended to recall the brand's beginnings_ closely linked to music and club culture. It brings together personal thoughts and historical moments. The focus is on Berlin's experimental music scene of the 80s_ which was characterised by synth music and resistance.

To these industrial sounds_ the GmbH duo_ consisting of Serhat Işık and Benjamin Huseby_ presented a sombre collection in a former thermal power station that also houses the techno club Tresor. Fluffy outerwear and large fur collars were featured alongside dark suits and body-hugging tops. Tailoring was paired with sporty elegance. Black floral prints were among the key design elements_ while the colour palette was restrained with black_ white and grey.

Musical influences also inspired Arashi Yanagawa_ the Japanese designer behind the brand John Lawrence Sullivan_ who made his Berlin debut on Monday. The former boxer combined his past career with stories from friends who are part of the Norwegian metal scene and have parties in the forest_ the designer explained. The rock-inspired collection was primarily based on long leather pieces such as coats_ boots and gloves_ combined with strong tailoring and transparent mesh elements.

Hard guitar riffs also rang out at Dagger. Founder Luke Rainey sent skaters down the runway in ripped baggy jeans and accessories like Vans slip-ons and Eastpak backpacks_ which were _smeared_ with drawings and slogans_ as was popular with teenagers in the 2010s. Rainey focused on growing up in Portrush_ Northern Ireland_ which was characterised by boarded-up amusement arcades and harsh coastal weather. Various knitwear pieces depicting a punk with a mohawk were seen alongside patterns such as leopard print_ stars and stripes. In contrast to GmbH and John Lawrence Sullivan_ various colours and pattern mixes played a central role at Dagger.

Grand stage

Several brands in Berlin impressed not only with their collections but also an exciting backdrop.

The Augsburg-based brand OBS built three different sets_ which were connected by door frames on the round presentation area. The runway was divided into a living room_ a workshop and an outdoor landscape.

Outerwear and workwear paired with sets – including trousers and overshirts – fitted harmoniously into the overall picture. The focus was also on the brand's various bags_ for which it is known and which also attracted the interest of Shuhei Iwasa. The buyer for the Japanese department store chain Takashimaya explained that he would be keeping an eye on the brand.

SF1OG also played with a special runway presentation. An installation with several sinks from which water trickled was set up in the middle of the industrial show location. The collection presented_ including tight jeans_ double-breasted jackets and large bags_ analysed the era when stars were chased by paparazzi to get the _perfect photo_. In this context_ the Berlin-based label also addressed the question of who we are when no one is looking_ according to the show notes. Hiding and protecting are two central mechanisms that resonate here.

Haderlump invited guests to the Wintergarten variety theatre and presented its collection on a stage and the adjoining raised runway. After a piano solo_ the red curtain opened to reveal models in various large coats and pinstripe suits_ but various chunky knit pieces were also on display. Overall_ the silhouettes were rather wide and grand. Elements such as a sailor's cap and historically inspired cuts on the jackets also created the feeling of watching a play rather than a fashion show.

Richert Beil provided the grand finale of the fashion week. The Berlin-based label invited guests to a fashion dinner_ where they sat on chairs with mini-tables and were served various courses. The service staff's looks played with details such as cloth napkins and maid's aprons. Between the partly edible courses_ models moved gracefully through the rows of chairs. Silhouettes ranged from a tight-fitting latex look to a grand dinner table. _The dessert__ the final course_ was an ostrich egg from which guests pulled a pair of black ruffled panties. The accompanying soundtrack and individual elements created a rather dark atmosphere. A poison container was presented while guests drank a mushroom potion from a matching vial.

Buyer favourites

William Fan staged his shop in the middle of the rectangular runway_ to which the collection was also dedicated. For this_ the Berlin-based designer took inspiration from his customers who have visited the store in recent years.

Fan's show was also one of David Smedley's highlights. The head of buying at US menswear retailer SVRN said in a voice message after the fashion week that the use of textiles_ patterns_ shapes and silhouettes stood out for him. The movement in the garments and the shimmering fabrics stayed with him.

“I love the layering_ the colour_ texture and pattern blocking_” said Smedley. “Although they were wearable garments_ they all looked as if they were composed of different parts and elements of other things_ and everything merged into something seamless and harmonious.”

Smedley seemed so enthusiastic that he is also seriously considering adding Fan to his assortment. The brand_ which according to its own statements combines European and Chinese influences_ would be a particularly good fit for the San Francisco location. This is because of the large Asian diaspora there and the “deep appreciation for artists and fashion designers with a similar ethnic background”.

However_ Fan was not the only one the buyer remembered for potential orders. Berlin-based design veteran Michael Sontag_ who played with draping_ various textiles and modular elements_ and the Cologne-based label Marke were also on his list.

Marke_ the menswear label by designer Mario Keine_ has increasingly won over buyers and the press in recent seasons. Smedley was particularly impressed by the poetry of the collection_ the shirt layering and the “masterful tailoring”.

Sontag_ Marke and Fan are also on Stavros Karelis's list. The founder of the London concept store Machine-A_ which offers a mix of renowned brands and emerging talent_ is considering adding these brands to his range. Other brands such as GmbH_ Orange Culture and Buzigahill are also included. Who will actually make it onto the shop floor in the end still needs to be coordinated internally_ Karelis told FashionUnited on request.

For Iwasa_ it is already clear that he will be ordering Buzigahill for Takashimaya. He said this between the shows of the Intervention presentation format by the PR agency Reference Studios_ in which the label participated alongside brands such as GmbH_ Dagger and John Lawrence Sullivan. He would also consider Marke and OBS.