Hot fashion in chilly Berlin: The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin 2018

strong woman: Marina Hörmannseder, Martina Müller Calisti, Sportalm, Marc Cain

Large fashion fairs and great fashion shows across Berlin – this is the Berlin Fashion Week. The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin (MBFW) is at the very heart of it. Mercedes Benz and the creative agency NOWADAYS have developed a new concept for it, and have found a new location in the E-Werk between Potsdamer Platz and Gendarmenmarkt. “In this way, we want to further revive the fashion location of Germany for the long term in cooperation with labels, partners and press representatives”, organiser and agency owner Marcus Kurz explains. “Berlin is by far the largest and most important fashion location in the German-speaking area, and we firmly believe in its relevance and potential”, Katja Ohly-Nauber, Head of Marketing Communication Mercedes-Benz Cars Germany adds. I was at the shows of amazing labels such as Marc Cain, Marina Hoermanseder, SPORTALM or CALLISTI, who impressed invited guests with their shows. The MBFW also impressed with a live stream for the first time: all the shows were transmitted on a 50 m2 LED screen at the entrance as well as online at mbfw.berlin.

MARINA HOERMANSEDER

The Viennese designer with an atelier in Berlin studied International Business Administration and Fashion Design at the ESMOD fashion school in Berlin. She became famous thanks to her very special and unique use of orthopaedic leather. Emancipation is the main theme of her autumn/winter collection 2018/19, which she emphasises with highly expressive details. In her show in the “VON GREIFSWALD”, women marched in graceful military style and elaborate leather constructions towards a female future. Carefully selected key pieces such as a leather skirt in a 3D look, a voluminous ski suit, bustiers and strap pants made of leather stripes as well as extra-long coats and tight dresses show how the designer always reinvents herself from her founding inspiration. And of course Hoermanseder’s typical buckle is a decorative element of many of her pieces. On hoodies, the name “Marina Hoermanseder” stretches completely from one end of the sleeve over the chest to the other sleeve end, and some of her designs bear the large bold letters “Team MH”: “Team MH are simply my girls”, Hoermanseder said. Very interesting and perhaps a new must-have is also her round mini bag in the shape of a hand grenade.

MARTINA MÜLLER CALLISTI

The designer Martina Müller Callisti is one of the most successful fashion labels in Austria, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year. She has now been invited by Mercedes-Benz and Elle magazine to present her autumn/winter collection 2018/19 as this year’s “newcomer” in Berlin – impressing the invited guests. On the occasion of her anniversary, she showed her new top creations and re-interpreted the designs from previous years: 30 women’s outfits in mostly muted colours, with figure-hugging cuts, the typical CALLISTI blend of very masculine looks with military echoes but also with strong sensual and feminine accents. Protruding, opulent skirts were paired with short tops, with subtle shades such as aubergine, dark blue and cream as main colours as well as highlights in taupe and black. “This show in Berlin with a specialist audience and buyers from large fashion department stores is a great opportunity”, raves the designer, who is a regular guest of the Vienna Fashion Week. The Vienna-based label CALLISTI is known for its leather accessories. “But I now work almost exclusively with synthetic leather”, the designer revealed in an interview after her show in the former electric power plant near Potsdamer Platz. Her label name comes from the Greek and means “for the beautiful one” or “to the most beautiful”. The designer also launched her first men’s collection at the end of 2012, and presents her evening fashion collections twice a year.......

Read the full article in the last issue of the STYLMEMATE