THE BERLIN FASHION WEEK AW25 DIARIES - PART 1: DAYS 1 AND 2

Balletshofer AW25.

All images used in this article are a courtesy of Berlin Fashion Week's Media Hub.

Unlike previous years, this autumn-winter edition of BFW was held right after Copenhagen’s and in line with the other European fashion weeks in January. This decision was made to integrate and position the event as mandatory in the industry’s calendar.

The organization not only invited international guests such as Japanese model and influencer Kozue Akimoto, fashion journalist Loïc Pringent and president of Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode Pascal Morand, but also forged alliances with luxury hospitality services for foreign visitors this time, and additionally had free shuttles for all events and shows available to press representatives.

These efforts paid off as BFW AW25 has been the version of the event that attracted the most attention from international visitors so far. An estimated 30000 people from all over the world went to Berlin for this occasion (including the author of this article).

While Berlin is known for being the world capital of techno, and because its population tends to favor dark hues in outfits with punk, goth and BDSM influences, the different brands that were presented during BFW AW25 showed a wide diversity in the way they see, interpret and make fashion.

DAY 1 – JANUARY 31ST

MARCEL OSTERTAG

Marcel Ostertag presented their latest collection INSOMNIA on the main stage of Uber Eats Music Hall. While the color palettes were quite alluring with emerald green, black and white and silver, as well as exhibiting a wide variety of looks that can be worn all year long with combinations of leather and different natural and synthetic fabrics, the collection lacked a connective thread that allowed a stronger storytelling. It is wonderful for a brand to be able to express all its wearability on different facets, but for a collection to be more striking, a certain level of cohesion is needed.

We all love a visual crossover with references to the current pop culture, and some of the looks felt like a fun interpretation of how Anna Dalvey would dress in Berlin. However, the absence of a more coherent narrative can make the final set look like a mix of elements that do not have a lot in common. However, the collection showcased great technical execution and perfect styling choices for each outfit.

BALLETSHOFER

The runway show for Balletshofer’s new collection, which is the result of their collaboration with Timbaland, took place at one of the most iconic Berlin buildings at Kleine Auguststraße, known for its spiral staircase that works as the highlight of this architectural staple. This stage worked seamlessly with the collection, titled 007, and inspired by creative director Alan’s grandmother and her love of old cinema.

With just a handful of masculine looks, Balletshofer presented a collection that, while looking minimalistic on a first glance, had an enormous technical complexity in small but vital derails, like the placement of buttons on grey and black cardigans, or distressed neckties that were off centered just by a few centimeters from their usual place on the chest. Straight-legged oversized stripped pants, long cloth coats for the harsh German winter and lots of padded bomber jackets were abundant in this very solid, compact collection that proved that it is always better to focus on quality and details, rather than quantity and unnecessary paraphernalia.

DAY 2 – FEBRUARY 1ST

MARÍA CHANY

Serbian designer Maria Chany presented to the public her Elysium collection on an adapted space inside of Berlin Recycle, a recycling processing facility. This choice of a location made perfect sense with the industrial, yet environmentally sensible work that was seen on the runway.

Many of Chany’s designs had a vague taste of The Fifth Element under a contemporary reinterpretation that fits the environmental concerns of today. Some textures were reminiscent of tire rubber with neon spray paint details, maximalist floral prints and nude suits with parts that looked like the wings of a giant moth: all worked as the different parts of very experimental, but responsible aesthetics.

DESIGN ACADEMY ADAPT SHOWCASE

Zalando and VORN sponsored the ADAPT showcase, which came as the result of awarding 10 fashion design students with a scholarship and residency in Berlin to learn about adaptable design for people with disabilities. This market has about 1 billion people worldwide, but it is still largely ignored in fashion, so in this showcase the focus was on functional, yet aesthetically viable solutions for their specific needs.

This event also included a talk show with local influencer Janina Nagel about the importance of creating more varied options for adaptable fashion, a networking session and a closing party. The most remarkable executions were those of functional jackets for hand prothesis users, delicate and feminine streetwear options for women with Down syndrome, and fully wearable vests for wheelchair users that had a strong influence of some of the most legendary Offwhite collections.