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Recap of Der Berliner Salon and MBFW: These were the Shows in January 2019
These were the highlights of the Berlin Fashion Week shows in January 2019.
Both show formats, Der Berliner Salon and MBFW (former Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) attracted numerous fashion interested visitors with a variety of runway shows, installations and showcase presentations. As in the previous seasons, most of the MBFW shows took place at the ewerk, in Mitte. In the forecourt of the location, the visitors had the possibility to watch a live broadcast of the runway shows taking place inside. In the entrance room, a presentation of the fashion talents was displayed, which was very well received by the visitors.
Der Berliner Salon offered an impressive space, close to the Rosenthaler Platz, for the group exhibitions. This was supported by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises/Project Future. The designers presented a curated exhibition by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Christiane Arp, next door, in the Villa Elisabeth. This was done as part of the Vogue Salon.
The Presentations and Runway Shows
Around 25 runway shows and presentations took place within the duration of five days, from the 14th to the 18th of January. We have summarized the highlights below:
ODEEH (Der Berliner Salon)
The designer-duo, Otto Drögsler and Jörg Ehrlich are the men who stand behind the brand, ODEEH. On Monday, they presented their Autumn/Winter collection 2019/2020 in a very special location. Maxi dresses, Marlene trousers and floral patterns were to be seen inside the theater hall of the Berliner Festspiele. Whilst the specialist audience was seated on stage, the models presented ODEEH's collections between the rows of seats.
More information regarding ODEEH: https://odeeh.com/
WILLIAM FAN (Der Berliner Salon)
Sequined animal prints and glossy, shimmering fabrics were essential at WILLIAM FAN’s show. With the motto, “It’s your time to shine”, these designs were supposed to remind us of Tokyo’s colorful and vibrant nightlife. The unusual location was one of the highlights of the show. At the renowned Karaoke-Bar at Alexanderplatz, “Knutschfleck”, the countertops were transformed into a runway.
More information regarding WILLIAM FAN: http://www.williamfan.com
Lou de Bètoly (Der Berliner Salon)
On Wednesday, the Berlin-based, French designer, Odély Teboul, presented her impressive show, titled “Eaux-Fortes“, as part of Der Berliner Salon, in the Villa Elisabeth. A semi-collapsed bouncy castle was placed on the stage. The music was on point and suited the eccentric, punky, patchwork collection very well. The designer Odély Teboul describes this as “Ethno Dada”. The pieces of her collection were partially made of recycled materials.
More information regarding Lou de Bètoly: http://www.loudebetoly.com/
IVANMAN (MBFW)
Classical and avant-garde designs, as well as a touch of bike sportswear were combined at Ivan Mandzukic’s show. The menswear label, IVANMAN, presented the new collection with clear shapes, colors and evident influences of cycling. This was displayed as a showcase installation, within the frame of the MBFW. The show took place inside the MBFW-lounge at the ewerk.
More information regarding IVANMAN: http://ivanman.org/
Marina Hoermanseder (Der Berliner Salon)
The motto, “Hi, nineties”, is completely in line with what was presented at Marina Hoermanseder’s show. As per usual, it was pompous. Many neon colors were to be seen and roller skates, as well as belt buckle-elements were presented on the runway, in order to display a 90’s look. With the use of music, the show was set into the context of the prominent 90’s sitcom “Married… with Children”. The TV-shows protagonist, Peggy Bundy, was the prime muse of Hoermanseder’s Autumn/Winter collection.
More information regarding Marina Hoermanseder: http://www.marinahoermanseder.com/
Dawid Tomaszewski (Der Berliner Salon)
This season Dawid Tomaszewski presented his jubilee-collection. The high-fashion label, DT (Dawid Tomaszewski), has existed for ten years. Using the name “Colour Screens”, he presented his colorful und glittery collection, in an old supermarket at Holzmarktstraße. The collection seemed to be inspired by Andy Warhol’s pop-art style. Contrasting colors and Bauhaus patterns were essential here.
More information regarding Dawid Tomaszewski: http://www.dawidtomaszewski.com/
Richert Beil (MBFW)
Thursday started off with Richert Beil’s theatrical show “Alter Ego”. Bananas were found in the front row, instead of goodie bags. The backdrop was dark, the models paraded along the catwalk to Kraftwerks “We are the Robots” hit. Most of them had sinister expressions on their faces and some of them walked along the runway with their bare feet. A cuddle toy in a cage and a staged fall were only two of the most memorable scenarios of the show.
More information regarding Richert Beil: http://www.richertbeil.com/
Neonyt Show (MBFW)
The Neonyt show took place within the frame of the global hub for sustainability. The editorial fashion show, which took place in the ewerk, combined designs of various sustainable labels. The mix of sustainable collections was presented as part of “The Art of Assembling”. The show was curated by, Claudia Hofmann, the stylist and co-founder of the Fashion Council Germany. The main theme of January’s Neonyt was water. This vital theme was included within the presented collections. Looks by Ecoalf, Edelziege, Brachmann and Philomena Zanetti were presented at the show.
More information regarding the Neonyt Editorial Show: neonyt.messefrankfurt.com/berlin/de/presse/pressemeldungen/neonyt/neonyt-fashion-show-review.html
Marc Cain (MBFW)
Marc Cain’s fashion show took place inside an event location at Französische Straße. The motto of the show was, “Meet you at the Train Station”. Following this theme, the models walked along a catwalk, which was staged to be train station. Marc Cain’s Autumn/Winter collection 2019/2020 was rich in contrast and conceptually dedicated to business women. Trendy neon colors were combined with more subtle colors such as beige. Knit also played a vital role at the show and was often worn in combination with snake patterns and shiny fabrics.
More information regarding Marc Cain: https://www.marc-cain.com/
Amesh Wijesekera (MBFW)
The London born designer, Amesh Wijesekera, who grew up in Sri Lanka, is considered as an internationally celebrated newcomer within the fashion industry. His show took place on the 15th of January at the Berlin Fashion Week. A combination of traditional handicrafts and contemporary art is visible within his collection. Knit borders, cords, handwoven materials and batik patterns are typical elements of his designs. Also, red, orange and gold colors, which remind us of sunsets in Colombo, Sri Lanka, perfectly describe Wijisekera’s Autumn/Winter collection.
Amesh Wijisekera’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amesh_wijesekera/
