Marke

ABOUT THE SHOW

Designer Mario Keine presented the collection of his label MARKE in collaboration with NEWEST and Museum & Location at the Kulturforum. The inspiration for "Zapfenstreich" came from the rural marksmen's festivals with which the designer grew up in the Sauerland. Uniform jackets, trousers with pennants, and sashes represent his critique of traditions and groups that continue to exclude and discriminate against people today.

What inspired you for this collection?

Growing up in Sauerland and being an active member of a music club, I experienced many shooting festivals. At these events, members of the local shooting brotherhood shoot at a wooden bird, and the victor, along with their partner, is crowned and celebrated. These festivals, which often reject innovations under the guise of tradition, sparked a reflection on the exclusivity and lack of inclusivity in traditional customs.

What is particularly significant about this collection?

A distinctive feature is the blend of traditionally masculine forms with elements borrowed from queer culture. This combination is manifested in both the silhouette and through the use of materials and colors, critically engaging with conservative fashion norms.

What materials, colors, and silhouettes are central?

The collection challenges the status quo by reinterpreting typical elements of shooting festival attire and blending them with visual aspects of marginalized groups. The use of vibrant plaids, jerseys, and mélange fabrics in shades like turquoise-pink or black-red celebrates individuality. The materials are exclusively sourced from Italian overstock and deadstock fabrics, ensuring the collection’s sustainability.

ABOUT THE LABEL

The brand MARKE, acronymic for designer Mario Keine, was launched in 2021 and is driven by the mindset to understand the human spirit and personality as a free and dynamic construct. MARKE creates collections which give the character room to simultaneously explore differing shapes of aesthetic, celebrating hybridity, fluidity, and eclecticism as paramount roles.

In a rich canon of inspiration, drawn from the spheres of art and culture, influences of historic decades and folklore as well as future époches, the collections explore contexts of past and present by playing with conventional and alternative approaches. Historic and innovative manufacturing techniques are balancing out the possibilities in production of apparel, jewelry and accessories.

All apparel collections are sourced circular, exclusively produced in Germany and Poland.

All images, brand descriptions and further information are available at the official Berlin Fashion Week MEDIA HUB.