The organizers and designers showing at Berlin Fashion Week have said it many times. They don’t want to be another, Milan or even a London. For one thing, it’s not possible. There’s just not the same level of fashion industry in, and for another, the German capital, long known for its liberal politics, artistic creativity and hedonistic nightlife, just wants to be, well, Berlin.
The Anonymous Club show was held inside Tempodrom, a popular inner city concert venue, in front of an enthusiastic audience of several thousand, many of whose outfits proved just as interesting as those on the runway. This season GmBH chose to put on their show at home rather than Paris for several reasons, the pair said. The Paris Olympics added major logistical hurdles and the brand was celebrating its seventh anniversary and had never done anything in Berlin.
Last month Berlin Fashion Week revealed it would adopt sustainability and inclusivity guidelines very similar to those of Copenhagen Fashion Week and that these would become mandatory by February 2026. Speaking of audiences, while the designers may have felt slightly more international, it was unclear whether the crowd was.
The Berlin senate has also instituted a hospitality program for international guests. But again, without all those inducements, would there be anything to attract international buyers and media to Berlin? While some of the smaller labels chosen for support by the event’s organizers may well have the latter look, the question of who could wear their garments outside of Berlin makes it unclear whether, or when, they would be able to translate the style into a successful business model.