The secret to surviving Berlin Fashion Week is to sip champagne, quaff on cocktails and drink lots and lots of water – Part I!

Last week, I wrote to you all about what Berlin Fashion Week was all about and not only that, but Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin in particular. I’m such a fashionista, how could I not?

This week, I’d like to go into a bit more detail about the social aspects of Berlin Fashion Week and the fashion shows that I actually went to, so that if you ever decided to try it out for yourself, you would know what to expect.

And most importantly, the after-party scene because honestly, what’s a show without a party LOL!

Here we go.

I received press invitations and passes to thirty-five (35) exclusive fashion houses and fashion trade shows, and seventeen (17) after-shows functions and parties.

Seventeen (17)!

Of course, after what happened last season, there was absolutely no way that I would even attempt to go to them all, so I decided to be smart and be selective. There’s always the next fashion season…!

WHERE DID I ACTUALLY GO?

I actually went to:

DAY ONE (1)!

• BRACHMANN

My first (1st) show of the season started at, for the  very first time, a new contemporary venue – “the Stage” at me Collectors Room.

It was such a sunny day that by the time that I got there, I was sweating like a sauna addict. Ha! You know what I think about saunas! Needless to say, I arrived in plenty of time before the show was due to start.

The label BRACHMANN POST-CLASSICAL MENSWEAR modernizes menswear classics by  looking for inspiration in menswear staples as well as architecture, popular culture, and modern art. BRACHMANN synthesizes progressive design, perfect fit, exquisite materials of natural fibres, and a luxury finishing made in Germany, into a cohesive men’s apparel line of urban chic and minimalistic elegance.

Phew!

The lines were sleek, clean, and classical with lots of linen and leather shoes. My son “The Tall Young Gentleman” does a bit of modelling every now and then….. so I know that it’s pretty hard to keep a straight face!

I loved the colours of grey, blue, brown, dark green and cream, and the coolness of the fabric if only I could afford them for my boy.

I think he might actually like the long shorts and the fact that they’re not wearing socks LOL!

Before I could actually start concentrating on the next showing, I took a car and decided to visit the Sponsors Lounge at “the Tent” aka Berlin’s most historic landmark – Brandenburg Gate!

I had a variety of tiny Asian dishes, two (2) glasses of champagne, two (2) bottles of water, a huge cup of Earl Grey tea (of course!), had my make-up done free of charge, at the Maybelline stand and my nails prettied.

Pink!

I had also planned to go to their AfterShow Party at the Steigenberger Hotel Bar. I didn’t go in the end, as it’s all about pacing myself this time around, because if you’re going to dance the night away where better than in Berlin.

Better to take it slow!

• IVANMAN

Just look at those cheek-bones!

Phowar!

The avant-garde menswear designer label IVANMAN is one of the European nominees for the coveted International Woolmark Prize 2015/16 for outstanding emerging designers from around the world.

The inspiration behind this season’s style is the non-specific but elegant element of sport.

I was on the front row.

Again.

Yay!

The rooms are much smaller this year so the seating is stricter.

Ah well.

I used the system that I used last season.

Complete and utter bragging, bravado and downright enthusiasm!

The clothes were colourful and bright in pink, pale blue and yellow shirts. Very slim trousers, soft suede and crocheted tops. Very 1950’s Teddy Boy with a more vibrant but very thin, anorexic look!

• VEKTOR

Vektor was founded by a German – Croatian duo and is a Berlin-based fashion label for womanswear, menswear and unisex styles. It’s inspired by urban everyday life, street style and subcultural living, and focuses on functionality and soft extravagance.

I was sitting one seat away from a German Casting Director (Germany’s Next Top Model) and a current TV entertainer on Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! or “I’m a Celebrity. Get Me Out of Here!” I didn’t know him myself but with the amount of whispering, twittering and pointing of fingers going on behind me, I made it my business to find out who he was. After all, I was literally sitting next to him..!

His name was Rolf Scheider and he was rather nice, chatty and friendly.

Anyway, the clothes were sort of see-through-ish net-like material. Very sporty and sort of like a spartan soldier uniform, in my opinion! Lots of bulky shoulders for boys, plaits in hair for girls. Nylon, white, cream and denim material. Very strong eyebrows, white pumps.

Tattoos totally accepted LOL!

On leaving, I bumped into a really famous German D.J. but I forgot his name. He tends to do dance rave type of music and has short blond hair!

PARTY ONE (1)!

• i-D OPENING COCKTAIL / ZALANDO FASHION HOUSE / BOLD / NOT JUST A LABEL
  

I then went to a fashion showing / drink cocktails / party organised by BOLD promoting i-D – a glossy magazine that documents fashion and contemporary culture and Zalando Fashion House – a Berlin based-online-platform-for-fashion-brand and staged at the iconic department store, Warenhaus am Weinberg.

It’s great to discover and experience exciting fashion workshops, talks, films, exclusive previews, Zalando fashion and new talent curated by Not Just A Label, all under one roof!

I only dropped in for about 30 minutes and surprised everyone by arriving in a fancy Mercedes-Benz car! I did a little networking with Niccolò Montanari who is the Co-Founder of the Berlin Fashion Film Festival & Head of Marketing, and took in some of the street wear fashion whilst quaffing on Pimms and a bottle of water!

There was a female D.J. and along with a live musical performance, were models with strange scrawlings on their faces presenting fashion pieces of print in a bold, interesting and contemporary way!

PARTY TWO (2)!

• BREAD & BUTTER

Even though I didn’t make it to the Brachmann AfterShow Party, I made it a point of duty to go to the Bread & Butter Get Together.

Bread & Butter is truly one of my favourite places and the fashion darling of Berlin. It’s a trade show for selected brands and stands for all aspects of Modern Urban Lifestyle, unparalleled inspiration and youthful energy and style.  It’s had a few problems over the years but you can’t pull a good fashion brand down!

I arrived at about 19:45 and was given two (2) chips for refreshments and food as press. I’m not a fan of beef at restaurants so I ordered an organic burger at the food market. It came with bacon and cheese. I also ordered a schnitzel burger later on too, and really dug in!

There were a couple of fridges scattered around and you helped yourself to beer which was completely and utterly free for everybody which was preeeeety good! The water wasn’t free but thankfully, I had loads with me and was able to slow down!

One of the reasons that I didn’t move on, was because of the weather. We were all outside sitting on bean bags and deck chairs with a live DJ banging away when it began to spit, rain and thunder.

I then met some Italians who called me over to join them. They owned a start-up shoe company called Lerews and were looking to take up some of the German business space. They were a warm bunch of three (3) men and one (1) woman – all Italian. And they kept trying to pile me with (paid-for) cocktails and more beer!

I declined the cocktails.

Ha!

And sipped the beer.

Slowly!

LOL!

By 23:00, everyone was looking rather flushed and the rain refused to subside, so I decided to make a run for it and go home!

DAY TWO (2)!

• ANJA GOCKEL

Anja’s Gockel’s collection is called “Amelia” after the 1920’s American aviation pioneer – Amelia Earhart – the first (1st) woman to fly over the ocean. This collection is inspired by boldness and courage.

I once again found myself on the front row but this time I brought my fascinator with me and black and silver kitten heels!

The clothes were colourful and sort of African-like patterns, prints and jodhpurs. Lots of orange and very cool-down-the-weather fabric. Burnt orange, glittery dresses and nude or silver high-heeled shoes. Huge glasses and very long hair.

I loved the clothes and could quite see myself wearing them with no problems at all!

• LOUISE FRIEDLAENDER

The show was billed as Louise Friedlaender @The Apartment. I then took a car and indeed, the show really was at an apartment. In West Berlin!

I hadn’t really realised that the venue was off-site and ended up back at Brandenburg Gate! Luckily, the organisation was so efficient that the Mercedes-Benz transport hosts were immediately able to put me into another car LOL!

The catwalk was in a living room accompanied by a classical musician and a live singer. This was the first collection for Louise Friedlaender.

The clothes were focused on tailoring and timeless silhouettes and a sort of modernistic sci-fi style dresses and tops with ra-ra tassels on the bottom edges! Light soft tweed, long grey knits and coral, glass, shell necklaces. Colours were grey, brown, cream and olive-green with felt or suede slippers and slip-ons of various colours.

• #FASHIONTECH BERLIN-KONFERENZ – THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF FASHION.
  

Leaving @The Apartment proved more difficult than I had anticipated as the cars weren’t taking us back, just dropping us. It’s a good thing that I actually live in Berlin so I know how to get about.

I took off my kitten heels and prepared to take the bus to the next underground station which was just one (1) bus-stop away! I was going to attend a fashion technology conference.

The fashion technology conference is the platform for all up-coming ideas and business models that influence the way fashion is designed, produced, distributed, marketed and sold.

I would have loved to have spent more time there but there wasn’t any, so I picked the 13:30 session on “Technology as a fashion statement: Style vs Sensors.”  It was really interesting and focused on “glowing technology,” light sensors in clothing and whether in the future clothes could be intelligent and think.

Who knows, but that’s fashion baby!

Stay tuned!

p.s. Even though like the very lovely Adventurous Kate, I’m a great lover of pimms and champagne, you  should always drink responsibly so that you can be all fabulous and partake in the festivities and events that bizarre Berlin and gorgeous Europe has to offer, and have a jolly good time  and dance the night away, while doing it!

• Photographs of Vektor ©Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz).
• Photographs of Anja Gockel ©Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for IMG).
• Photographs of Louise Friedlaender ©Joern Pollex/Getty Images for IMG).
• Photograph of Maartje Dijkstra: Intimacy ©Robert Lunak.
• Other photographs ©Victoria Ade-Genschow – The British Berliner.
• Last photograph of Fashion Tech Berlin ©Nils Krüger.

• Photographs of the Impuls Graduate Show 2015 ©Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for IMG).

This article is not sponsored and even though I received complimentary press tickets, all opinions and the various titbits and tasty organic burgers, are my very own!

I wholeheartedly have so much to share with you and I haven’t even told you about the evening stuff yet so I’m splitting this post into two parts. Part I now and Part II in a fortnight (two weeks).

Next week, I’ll finally be revealing three (3) travel destinations I will be travelling to in August!

Fingers at the ready!

July is going to be quite enjoyable!

Watch this space!

I quite fancy some of these clothes. What about you? Could you see yourself wearing these fashion items down your street? Are you brave enough to wear shocking pink and vibrant yellow? Do you like my new it-took-me-a-few-hours-to-do-all-by-myself-blog-look? Comments on my logo?

If you like this post or if you have any questions send me a tweet, talk to me on Facebook, find me on Linkedin, make a comment below, look for me on Google+ or send me an Email: victoria@thebritishberliner.com