BERLIN FASHION WEEK: THE NEW IT FASHION WEEK?
In the few years after the pandemic, the vision of the fashion world has narrowed. While Paris and Milan remained strong, cities like London, New York and Copenhagen gradually fell into the background. Brands started to gravitate towards safer and more familiar fashion weeks like Paris. However, a surprise calendar from Berlin in recent weeks has shattered this perception.
Berlin Fashion Week SS26 burst onto the scene with the kind of raw, unfiltered and political energy we haven’t seen in a long time. The presence of names like GMBH, Ottolinger, David Koma and Lueder in the calendar showed that Berlin is not only transforming into a powerful fashion scene, but also redefining the game.
Berlin has never played by the rules of traditional fashion capitals. The city’s style is layered, eccentric and political – and that spirit was very much in evidence this season.
Monday: Quiet Start, High Impact
Fashion week kicked off with an uncharacteristically quiet Monday in Berlin – it’s almost impossible to find anyone in this city without a hangover on a Monday morning! However, one of the most talked about fashion shows of the week was undoubtedly Clara Colette Miramon’s performative street show. This street fashion show with political subtexts, supported by contemporary designs, impressed the audience.
Tuesday: From Romantic Punk to Minimalism
The second day opened with the “Chime” collection of Milk of Lime, one of Berlin’s rising brands. Combining romantic punk aesthetics with high craftsmanship, the collection performed well above expectations. Later in the day, we took a breather among the more simple, romantic and minimal lines of Marke. In the futuristic and punk world of Berlin, Marke was a moment of calm.
One of the most anticipated shows of the day was Sia Arnika. Experimental forms, activewear spirit and silhouettes where office shirts turned into dresses drew attention. The shoes were by Philipp Kern.
Wednesday: The Heart of Berlin Beats
It was undoubtedly the most important day of the week. Four fashion shows organized by Reference Studios agency took place on the same day and in the same location. We started the day with Marcia Lueder’s Lueder brand. Inspired by fairytale medieval characters, the collection was combined with modern patterns and punk details. UGG shoes stood out in the styling. The runway turned into a time machine with the model cast.
David Koma carried the men’s collection to the Berlin catwalk. Urban chic, casual elegance and military influences were combined with Havaianas slippers, Ray-Ban glasses and grunge oversized t-shirts. The looks complemented with denim silhouettes brought the masculine energy of Berlin to the stage in a powerful way.
One of the most striking fashion shows of the day belonged to GMBH. Creative directors Serhat Isik and Benjamin Alexander Huseby opened the show with the message “Free Palestine” and a moment of silence. Inspired by three different stories from the Middle East, the collection was highly acclaimed for its soft masculinity, structured femininity and modern interpretations of traditional forms.
Ottolinger, as always, shattered expectations with a chaotic, experimental and subversive language.
Thursday: A Poetic Closure
On the last day of the fashion week, we saw one of the softest closings. Andrej Gronau brought a feminine touch to Berlin with his poetic and romantic outfits. Shorts, puffy sweaters and pastel tones that looked like they came out of the bedroom added a sweet peace to the fashion show.
As Based Istanbul, we are after the moments in fashion that really have meaning. And this season, Berlin gave us more than enough of those moments.
That’s all that’s on our radar from Berlin Fashion Week SS26 for now. But we are sure, this city is just getting started.