In Berlin, Fun and Function Run Apace
William Fan
German designers have clearly spent time fussing with details here, but the clothes don’t feel fussy, and that’s their strength. Do they need more than that? Not really. And William Fan didn’t complicate matters by attempting any particularly challenging silhouettes. This season, the emphasis was put on longer lengths and ladylike cuts and clean detailings. “I always like to have contrasts, and last season I chose to explore ceremony for special occasions, and this time is all about relaxed practicality, unleashing clothes that are suitable to go to the airport teamed with travel-inspired layers that add a sense of ease and leisure to the lineup,” said Fan in a backstage interview post-show.
MARKE
“It’s off-duty, cozy and comfortable, which comes through in the shapes of structured cotton, which takes on lots of textures and fabric manipulation.” This sense of ease took center stage at MARKE’s fall outing, whose inspiration fronted a collection that recalled silent memories throughout time. “After closely examining my own handwriting last season, I want to continue the cycle of reflection by paying homage to the people and moments that have influenced me through a visual tribute,” he noted. In general, with the exception of a tailored topper or a sleek, clean-cut jacket, he erred—as usual—on the side of clothes that are toss-on-able. Also as usual, the materials in the collection are circular in origin, sourced entirely from the overstock and deadstock of Italian manufacturers.
Here, outerwear features heavy wool and cashmere blends, but this time the volumes gained a breezier stance. Classic tailoring runs apace, such as a blazer in an hourglass silhouette, inspired by the couture volumes of the 1950s. Overall, shapes were wielded successfully, with memorable moments including breezy separates (done in a “structural” format, as he called them) and frilled skirts with a quasi-high waist that felt fun and brough quirk to the tailored severity, perfect for a summer shindig.
Richert Beil
Speaking of fun, and the artsy sensibilities such terms harmonize, there was something fun in the air at Richert Beil’s fall outing — aside the scrum pre-show, where people crawled to grab a damned spot through a very (I repeat, very) tough persistence. The label has always premised on functional and neutral practicality, but this season’s hero pieces gained a certain elegance in its Fall arsenal: simple and fuss-free, but not boring, and equally suited to a business meeting (the ever present tailored formality) or a low-key weekend (loose functionality). There was still a sense here that the designer remains overfond of the purposefully awkward silhouette — some of the garments were a tad shapeless — but they’ve got better at adding the grace notes that give a covered-up look verve fit or a young-meets-old bracket.
Namilia
On a complex (and similar) note, the dropped waist counted for a lot at Namilia, a brand which never outgrows their emblematic awkwardness; it’s a symbol idiomatic to the brand and the reason the most straightforward pieces in this Fall outing still stood out. With a spectacle enjoying a hot revival as it is right now, celebrity stylists will come in throngs for those slogan pieces in flashy pink, teamed with camouflage textures and all-black, gloomy surface patterns that basked the lineup in a cool, sexy island of doom. Adding nods to the signature were medieval armors and glamorous trash. “We presented looks that, as usual, provocatively addressed the hate against queer people who bravely navigate public spaces,” noted Emilia Pfohl and Nan Li. Materials and aesthetics play a pivotal role this season, with an array of prints and patterns, including realtree motifs and bespoke monogram prints. Pinks and rhinestones interplay with chain mesh, stretch lycra, and vegan leather, crafting a dynamic visual narrative. “Moreover, the collection introduces new silhouettes, featuring sculptural fits and couture-inspired designs that redefine the brand's aesthetic,” they added.
Bobkova
Contrastingly, Bobkova served-up old-school glamor for Fall, with a lineup that began with a series of understatedly chic ensembles that rendered the brand its cultish following. Midway through, though, we sensed a slight shift in the proceedings. A model with a white lapel, metallic two-piece came down sporting what was, on closer inspection, an almost retro suit that harnessed old-school Americana. So here came a collection with verve and wide-ranging appeal to spare: "casual wear" inspired by Japanese, straight cuts combined with often flowing, feminine elements.
Lou de Bètoly
A femininity that gained full potential at Lou de Bètoly. Take, for example, this season’s variety of knitted pieces for women, such as skin-tight gowns or a simple blouse with romantic detail along the collar and breast. They owed a debt to illusion and distortion, with looks challenging reality’s perceptions. Skirts made from bras and leather coats turned into bags reinterpret classic couture and reflect the label's upcycling principle. One look created the illusion of denim but was actually crocheted from yarn and sequins. It was pointed to the craving for more elegant, less in-your-face sartorial reference. And it was extremely tasteful.
Sia Arnika
But references, can one ever have enough? Not in Sia Arnika’s creative realm. “I was trying to toy with the dichotomy of the mundane and the noughties somehow,” she concurs in a post-show interview, explaining that “there’s a lot of sheerness juxtaposed with heavy utility in the lineup as well, but then one can find the cut and the lace—some of which was Danish inspired, and of oversized kind.” The designer fancies playing with bold, striking lines, and the clever touches that comprise shapes and deconstruction, toying with dramatic structure and graceful offerings that led to researched textile experimentations and nodded towards her classic standouts—namely skirts, body-hugging gowns and skin-tight separates.
All in all, as designers part and parcel of an ever growing market, experimentation might be their best resistance.
