Fashion in Germany – The Mix Is the Secret!
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Germany has still not evolved into a classic fashion nation. But with a mix of established designers and successful brands, up-and-coming young talents and Berlin as its creative epicentre, its significance as a fashion hub is growing. “Designers like Jil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld and Wolfgang Joop have pioneered the way that is now being continued by Michalsky and Co. But not only well-known designers are gaining international recognition. Top-quality brands like Boss and Strenesse as well as mainstream labels like Gerry Weber are also attracting attention,“ says Kirsten Rahmann of the German Textile and Fashion Confederation (Gesamtverband der deutschen Textil- und Modeindustrie). National and international success
Lea Gross, Vogue Germany’s fashion editor, describes the current situation similarly, and in addition to established fashion brands, points to more recent labels such as Lala Berlin and René Storck that are also very successful both nationally and internationally. “And we are also seeing a lot of entrepreneurial and creative potential with a few of the newcomers. And furthermore, Germany is a significant selling market for international fashion brands.”
To reach an even wider international audience, many next-generation German designers aim to show their collections in Milan, London or Paris. Their role-models are Markus Lupfer, John Ribbe, Lutz Hülle, Bernhard Willhelm or Stephan Schneider, who have already positioned themselves in London, Paris or Antwerp and also work there. Apart from them, a few German designers are the creative directors of international brands, |
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among them Tomas Maier for the Italian label Bottega Veneta, or Dirk Schönberger for the Sport Style Division of Adidas, to say nothing of Karl Lagerfeld, who, in addition to his own brand, is also in charge of design at Chanel and Fendi.
Concentrated creativity
Fashion is being created in many locations in Germany. “There is a concentration of fashion and textile designers in certain cities – we can see this based on our members: Düsseldorf-Cologne, the cities of Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, as well as the overall region of Stuttgart and the Swabian Alb. A great number of free-lancers, both service providers and independents with their own ateliers, are to be found particularly in major cities,” says Claudia Ollenhauer-Ries, spokesperson of the Association of German Fashion and Textile Designers (VDMD). Among them numerous established names such as Eva Gronbach in Cologne, Talbot & Runhof in Munich, Herr von Eden in Hamburg or Anja Gockel in Mainz.
The fact that Berlin can hold high the banner of fashion internationally is due in no small part to the city’s well-attended fashion trade fairs. Above all, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a fashion magnet for buyers, visitors and the trade press. It has met with international resonance from its beginning in 2007, including from countries like China, Japan and the USA. Apart from young designers from throughout Germany – among them Patrick Mohr or Marcel Ostertag from Munich, Stefan Eckert and Hausach Couture from Hamburg or Michael Sontag and Kilian Kerner from Berlin – labels such as Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Zac Posen and Custo show or have shown their collections there. Daniel Aubke, press spokesman for the event’s organiser IMG Fashion Europe, explains the boom as follows: “In Paris or Milan, younger labels often have a difficult time getting noticed next to the great numbers of established designers. Here in Berlin, they are the stars and command the spotlight with their work. The German fashion scene as a whole benefits from this, because people in France and Italy are very much aware of just how much concentrated creativity emanates from Berlin.” “Berlin has fashion in its blood!”
The event was given its accolade by praise from the admired and feared New York fashion
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journalist, Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune: “Berlin has fashion in its blood!” And “Bread & Butter,” a leading international fashion trade fair for street and urban wear, as well as “Premium,” which presents high-end designer collections in the areas of denim, high fashion and accessories, are on the upswing. In addition to all of this, Berlin with its nine fashion academies offers an unusually high density in Europe, with Esmod, AMD, the Lette-Verein training centre and the Weißensee Art Academy Berlin, among others. These are joined by 600 to 800 mainly next-generation designers, whose spectrum ranges from high-priced couture to Green Fashion and streetwear, and from individual pieces to extensive collections – among others, labels such as c.neeon, Bless, Claudia Skoda, Penkov, Kostas Murkudis, Kaviar Gauche, Frida Weyer, Firma, Frank Leder or Franzius. And an entire series of independent magazines are published in the German capital that deal entirely or in part with fashion, such as Achtung, 032c, Liebling and Dummy. |
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Trade fairs and media
In addition to Berlin, Kirsten Rahmann of the German Textile and Fashion Confederation also counts Düsseldorf with its twice-yearly “CPD – International Fair for Womenswear & Accessories,” among Germany’s important fashion centres: “Even if the CPD’s importance is often under discussion, many labels have showrooms in Düsseldorf and do a solid business there.”
Magazine publishers such as Burda, Condé-Nast and MVG, with titles such as Elle, Vogue Cosmopolitan, and Munich’s three celebrated fashion academies AMD, Esmod and the Meisterschule für Mode contribute to the city’s reputation as a fashion capital. In addition, Munich hosts trade fairs such as the textile apparel trade fair “munich fabric start” in the Munich Order Center, a leader throughout Europe in this market segment. And the “Ispo,” an international trade fair for sport articles, sport fashion and lifestyle, sets standards world-wide as a trade fair in this market sector. The Germans and fashion
Fashion blogs, whose relevance and significance are increasing, are bringing a fresh wind into the scene. Highly active, quick to react and frequently unconventional, German blogs such as LesMads, Modepilot, Stilinberlin or Styleclicker present trends and themes. A steadily growing constituency bears witness to their popularity.
“My completely personal assessment is that Germany can become an international trendsetter only if the Germans identify with their fashion and conceive of it as a form of expression and a cultural asset. But it must also be said that there are enough counterexamples of stylishly dressed Germans to offset their compatriots in tennis socks and sandals. Maybe this image will be modified through the growing number of fashion blogs,“ is Kirsten Rahmann’s view.
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