Designers to watch for at Berlin Fashion Week
Berlin is getting dressed up this week. While the biggest labels stick with New York, Paris and London, Berlin's designers aren't to be overlooked. Here are a few names to keep an eye on.
Lala Berlin
Originally from Tehran, Berliner Leyla Piedayesh entered fashion via a job with the MTV Berlin show "Designerama." Now, she's said to represent Berlin's urban flair like hardly any other. Knits and innovative fabric combinations are one of her trademarks. Berlin Fashion Week, where she's showing on Tuesday (19.01.2016) calls Lala Berlin "anarchical, elusive, capital city chic."
Lena Hoschek
At the age of 13, Lena Hoschek (pictured, center) sewed her first dirndl with her grandmother and that sparked the Austrian designer's passion for traditional feminine looks. With ateliers in Vienna, Graz and Berlin, the 34-year-old is inspired by sensual retro styles from dirndls to pin-up and has dressed celebrities who share her passion for the past, like Katy Perry and Dita von Teese.
Guido Maria Kretschmer
Even those in Germany who aren't familiar with the fashion week will know Guido Maria Kretschmer from the "Shopping Queen" TV show he hosts. One of Germany's most successful homegrown designers, Kretschmer launched his career with airline crew uniforms, but is known for extravagant, glamorous looks and also designs for film and theater. He's been a regular at Berlin Fashion Week since 2009.
Anja Gockel
"Made in Germany" is the maxim for Mainz-based label Anja Gockel, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Gockel, who has a background in visual arts, often implements bold, unusual flower prints, satin and chiffon in her feminine designs. By creating styles in sizes XS-XXL, she makes a statement against super-skinny fashion.
Hien Le
Named "best newcomer" by Berlin Fashion Week in 2011, Hien Le has gotten off to a promising start. With a focus on discreet cuts, sleek designs and solid colors, his collections are also entirely made in Germany. Hien Le will be featured in the Berlin Mode Salon section of Fashion Week.
Augustin Teboul
Black is the new white for label Augustin Teboul, founded in 2011 by Annelie Augustin and Odély Teboul, the label Augustin Teboul. The duo create both ready-to-wear and haute couture for a style they describe as having a "combination of poetry and gravity balancing eccentricity with sobriety." Based in Paris, the label is showing this season at the Berlin Mode Salon, a sub-event of Fashion Week.
Rebekka Ruétz
She comes from Austria, studied in Munich, and worked in India and London before founding her label Rebekka Ruétz in 2009. Inspired by her stay in India, she implements the principle of chakras, or energy points, into her designs. Berlin Fashion Week is showing her "spiritual clothing with a feel-good character" on Wednesday (20.01.2016).
Marcel Ostertag
With production offices based in downtown Munich and a studio in Berlin, Marcel Ostertag (pictured) studied in London but brings a distinctly Munich flair to his designs. His creations are produced entirely in Germany. Ostertag's show on Tuesday is for the first time taking place at an offsite location, the Heeresbäckerei.