Berlin - At the show of fashion legend Boss, the usual glitz
and glamour were replaced by barbecued sausages against an industrial
backdrop, while style icon Rene Lezard hosted a 'home-made' breakfast
in a Berlin neighbourhood on Friday.
Through a series of innovative stunts, Berlin's Mercedez-Benz
Fashion Week has carved out a niche on the international fashion
circuit, and people are increasingly taking note.
'Berlin has fashion in the blood,' said style guru Suzy Menkes at
the start of the five-day event, which she was attending for the
first time.
As the International Herald Tribune's (IHT) fashion editor, Menkes
ranks alongside Anna Wintour of Vogue as one of the world's pre-
eminent authorities on the hottest trends on and off the catwalk.
Boss Orange presented casual creations in stylish denim, with a
touch of Miami Beach, characterised by sequinned leggings and flowing
dresses printed with pixellated palm tree patterns. The menswear
range included washed out chinos and denim coats.
'Orange is the rough, unpolished side of Hugo Boss,' said chief
executive Claus-Dietrich Lahrs.
Sequins also hit the catwalk at Strenesse Blue, alongside
three-quarter length jogging trousers and breezy silk dresses,
inspired by a Wild West theme.
Alongside global brands such as Escada and Wolfgang Joop's label
Wunderkind, up-and-coming German labels also took centre stage.
Lala Berlin, the brainchild of Iranian-born Leyla Piedayesh,
presented her latest range of knitwear, in shades of beige and cream,
alongside semi-transparent dresses in black and and delicate silk
pastels.
Black Coffee, a label by South African design duo Jacques van der
Watt and Danica Lepen, introduced an exotic appeal with studded silk
wraparound dresses in bold colours.
The show's exuberance was offset by Argentinian label Ramirez,
featuring classic understated elegance in black and grey.
While Berlin doesn't have the paparazzi appeal of Paris or Milan,
a handful of celebrities mingled amongst the fashionistas.
British actress Sienna Miller and Hollywood star Diane Kruger were
both spotted, while US singer-cum-designer Justin Timberlake
presented his first collection at the neighbouring Bread & Butter
trade fair.
Bread & Butter, one of the world's leading 'street fashion' fairs,
ran in parallel to the Fashion Week, offering retailers a chance to
preview next year's looks and haggle over lucrative trade deals.
Up to 120,000 trade visitors and 1,600 exhibitors were expected
for the three-day event at Berlin's historic Tempelhof airport, which
permanently closed to air traffic last November.
Next summer's looks, on display in the former hangars, included
pink shredded jeans and neon green basketball trainers, alongside
denim overalls and baggy bloomers.
The tattooed rockabilly style was predicted to remain popular, and
its trademark skulls had even migrated onto dressing gowns.
Meanwhile, German designer Anja Gockel introduced a celestial
touch to the Fashion Week on Berlin's central Bebelplatz square. Her
show, called 'The Real Life of Angels,' featured feminine designs
with a hint of glamour.
'I'm referring to the real angels of every day, today's strong
women,' Gockel said of her collection.
US label Eastpak gave Berlin street kids a chance to confront
their demons on the catwalk. Their show was put on by disadvantaged
youths who had spent months training to model the brand's urban
styles, featuring neon colours and bold prints.
Most of all, the Berlin Fashion week showed that, when it comes to
fashion, the rule is that there are no rules, a point made by Menkes
when she praised US First Lady Michelle Obama for wearing what she
wanted, not what etiquette dictated.
Berlin's vibrant street culture, along with the city's flourishing
boutique designers and a handful of well-funded fashion academies,
makes the city ideal for creating and spotting new trends.
During her first visit to Berlin in more than three years, the
IHT's fashion editor said the 33 shows gracing the Fashion Week
catwalks did not have the final say.
'I want to get into the streets. Fashion is not fashion until it's
worn by real people,' Menkes said.
USA
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