How to be an embodiment of urban, provocative cool: Berlin Fashion Week – Autumn/Winter 2016 – PART I!

So basically, yesterday was officially the end of Berlin Fashion Week.

In the winter.

OMG!

You should have seen it. It was snowy and icy, and I was freezing my little socks off.

Yep! I wasn’t even wearing tights (panty-hose). I was wearing pop socks!

And ankle boots!

It seems to be my thing now!

Fashion is synonymous with creativity and business, but in Berlin, fashion isn’t only an economic hum but an art form, that gives Berlin a cultural trump card!

When you think of Berlin, you think art and culture. When you think of art and culture, you think Berlin!

In Berlin, fashion and design labels present themselves with work that can be described as inventive, experimental, expressive and so very urban!

This was my fifth season at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

The first time I wasn’t actually invited and just sort of bragged and hustled my way through! However, by last summer I was well and truly on my way to being a real press person!

Here are the previous posts:

• Fashion or Passion, Green or Mean: Berlin Fashion Week
• Tilda Swinton and the Last Hurrah: Berlin Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2015!
• How to be a part of the new fashion set: Berlin Fashion Week 2014/2015!
• You’re looking hot and wearing a fur coat Katie Holmes. Of course you are: It’s Berlin Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2015!
• We might not be London. We might not be Paris. But by god, we’re gonna have a jolly good time in Berlin, at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week!
• I’m a fashionista, so I pucker my lips, twirl my skirt, and put on my kitten heels to attend the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin – Spring/Summer 2016!
• The secret to surviving Berlin Fashion Week is to sip champagne, quaff on cocktails and drink lots and lots of water – Part I!

I was supposed to write Part II, but with all the media attention I was getting myself, I didn’t quite get to it…!

Here we go.

Winter is pretty low-keyed in my opinion, so I only received press invitations and passes to fifteen (15) exclusive fashion houses and fashion trade shows, and fourteen (14) after-shows functions and parties. Last summer, I had thirty-five (35) and seventeen (17) respectively. Not too shabby for the “low” season!

WHERE DID I ACTUALLY GO?

Being that it’s the autumn/winter edition, the shows and events were a little more low-keyed than if it were the summer, and so yours truly dedicated a mere 2.5 days, rather than the whole week lol!

I actually went to:

• ANNA GORKE
• ANJA GOCKEL
• BRACHMANN 
• BRIGHT
• ESTHER PERBANDT
• FACES MAGAZINE PARTY
  
• #FASHIONTECH BERLIN-KONFERENZ
• GREEN FASHION TOUR THROUGH PRENZLAUERBERG
  
• IVANMAN
• LENA HOSCHEK
• LNFA TRIPLE LAUNCH
  
• PANORAMA
• POP UP Fashion Berlin
• PREMIUM
• SEEK
• SHOW & ORDER
• STEINROHNER
  

Let’s take them one by one shall we!

DAY ONE (1)!

SHOW&ORDER

I only had a limited amount of time as it was Monday evening and Fashion Week proper hadn’t started! Nevertheless, I made it work as I so enjoy going there.

SHOW & ORDER is a fashion trade event that combines an exclusive international platform with networking and selective presentation. All iron pipes and slabs of stone. Very rugged. Very Berlin. It’s located in KRAFTWERK; the premises of a former abandoned heating power station and the present day TRESOR club, and has an industrial feel.

Most of the fashion presented were of anoraks, fur capes, hoods, tweeds, flowers and stripes. Along with accessories.

With a space of more than 10,000 square meters, three (3) levels, and more than 250 international brands, including many young talents and new exhibitors, they had three (3) very successful business days, and I always enjoy going there, as the space and vibe is fresh.

PARTY ONE (1)!

I then went to an exclusive private fashion dinner organised by SHOW&ORDER and TEN117 as the host of the evening!

I’ve never been to a fashion dinner before so I was pretty chuffed to be invited. We started off with tasteful cocktails at the chats, and networking initiatives, where I found myself hanging out with a real fashion journalist from a local paper – Wolfgang. We then decided to sit together as effectively, we didn’t really know anyone lol!

There were long white tables, with white crockery and silver cutlery. Trays of sliced cold meats, exotic cheese, salad bowls and square baskets of bread. We were also given more cocktails and a variety of lovely bottles of wine. There was also a live singer and band, plus a goodie gift bag to take home. The dinner was really nice and I was very impressed!

DAY TWO (2)!

• IVANMAN

Even though the designer – Ivan Mandzu – is German-Serbian, you can’t deny that the IVANMAN collection is quite English in style, using elements of Saville Row and the Teddy Boys.

Just look at those wonderful bright colours and oversized lapels.

And cheekbones to die for!

The clothes were colourful and bright in pink, yellow, brown and red. Roller-necked jumpers, up to the neck-buttoned-up shirts. Swinging jackets. Very 1950’s Dandies! Very London! Very Geezer!

• LENA HOSCHEK
  

The LENA HOSCHEK collection was inspired by Miss Marple and British fashion. In fact, the collection was called “The Brits“ and was dedicated to the confident, modern woman-about-town, with an elegance of British charm and style.

They were in very good company lol!

The clothes were tweed, wool, rose-print patterns and knitwear. Lots of dark greens, black, silver and russet orange brown. Long wavy hair, fur on the cape and long lapels. It’s not Princess Diana by any means, more the young Queen Elizabeth, but I could quite see myself strolling into my corporate classes with these pieces, quite nicely!

• PANORAMA

In the early evening, I rushed over to PANORAMA BERLIN.

I really like Panorama as it presents a contemporary array of women’s and men’s collections, shoes and accessories, as well as lifestyle products by market leading brands. This relatively new (2013) European fashion trade fair focuses on a select portfolio of top international fashion brands with business relevance.

With more than 600 collections in a spacious 42,500-square-meter exhibition space, PANORAMA BERLIN is one of the largest and most economically relevant fashion trade show in German-speaking countries. Some 50,000 industry visitors from 96 nations make Panorama Berlin the best-attended fashion trade show in Europe, and thus one of the most important in the world.

I love going there as PANORAMA BERLIN is always nice and friendly.  I always have a fine time chilling with the exhibitors, buyers, and other press hounds, and once the venue is officially closed, the fun really begins!

I hung out at a nice corner of an Italian fashion brand called CASAMODA. They were pretty chilled, nice and friendly, as I basically just walked in and started shaking hands with people lol! I nevertheless, had a chat with Jennifer Kruger – from the Export Dept – who told me that CASAMODA. is a city business lifestyle brand for a variety of men between 30 – 60!

I had a few glasses of champagne, a few bottles of water, some crisps (potato chips) and some pretzel sticks when I heard an English voice, and before you knew it, I was in a circle of English business professionals nattering away!

ESTHER PERBANDT

The Berlin designer – Esther Perbandt made her presentation at Radialsystem V. Radialsystem V is a turn-of-the-century 1900’s water pumping station, situated in the urban centre of Berlin, between the suburbs of Friedrichshain, Mitte and Kreuzberg! It’s also a creative space ripe for the art scene in Berlin.

Esther Perbandt’s collection “Solanum – Nightshadows” is inspired by graphical shapes and light, architecture, cotton and tweed and the colours black, white and grey!

PARTY TWO (2)!

ESTHER PERBANDT AFTERSHOW PARTY

Sadly, I wasn’t actually able to attend this after-show party as I had another private engagement to attend to! However, the party was at the Radialsystem V. and the dress code was black and white. I understand that it was open to members of the public as long as they were dressed accordingly, and paid a €5.00 entrance fee.

It’s pretty cool to extend fashion week not only to industry people but to members of the public alike. I’ll talk more about that next week!

• Photo of Mercedes-Benz Fashion campaign Autumn/Winter 2016 featuring Natasha Poly.  ©Jeff Bark.
• Photos of Ivanman ©John Phillips/Getty Images for IMG.
• Photos of Lena Hoschek ©Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for Lena Hoschek.
• Photos of Esther Perbandt at Radialsystem V ©Adam Berry/Getty Images for IMG.
• Photos of BIKINI ©BIKINI
• Photos ©Victoria Ade-Genschow – The British Berliner.

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

I have so much to share with you as I’ve only given you the first two days! I’m splitting this post into two parts. Part I now and Part II in a fortnight (two weeks). If I can!

Watch this space!

Are you brave enough to wear bright yellow, blue and burnt orange or are you into a more serious blend of black and white?