At the Berlin Curated Group Show, a New Generation of Designers Devoted to Craft and Sustainabilty
Berlin Curated is that thing we never get enough of in fashion these days, the group show, and frankly I simply don’t understand why. What better way for an up-and-coming designer to get their work on the runway, and lean into the support of friends and communities so that not everything rests on their weary and no doubt resources-strapped shoulders? Share that spotlight! Instagram is where you can garner the solo accolades.
Berlin Curated’s 14 talents—here’s who they are, and I’ll take a deep breath before launching in: Yannic Pretzlaff (@ yannicpretzlaff); Rosalba Johanna Faroqhi (@ rosalbafaroqhi); Henning Sandau (@ henning.sa); Alina Nazari (@ irazana3); Luis Buchwald (@ luisjbuchwald ); Friedrich Fromm (@ fritzfromm); Saudin Crnovrshanin (@ _saudin_); Waiian Aung (@ waiianaung); Lotta Strobauch (@ leftlott); Rika Behrens (@ houseofakir); Tim Nelson Escher (@ tim_escher_); Shahnoz Bakthiyorova(@ shahnozbakht); Stefan Uhr (@ stefanuhr); and last but not least, David Sandersfeld (@ altbau.studios)—are all currently studying at, or are an alumni of, fashion schools right across Germany. “If we’re going to make Berlin the city for young designers, for who’s coming up next, we have to identify who they are as early as we can,” said Christiane Arp. A journalist (she edited German Vogue for 18 years) and president of the Fashion Council Germany, Arp together with stylist Josepha Rodriguez and Sonja Hodzode of the Nowadays agency, masterminded the show in collaboration with 0049x, a recently established firm looking to foster the city’s creative industries.
This was the first-ever Berlin Curated, and the show offered, via three looks per designer, a fantastic and genuinely thrilling snapshot of a collective mindset; after all, what’s more exciting than turning to the first page of a story? Or in this case, 14 stories. On the evidence of what walked the runway, their viewpoints variously encompass everything from oversized and conceptualized tailoring to intricately crafted evening looks (sometimes with a bite of humor), deconstructed and romantically inclined utilitariana to inventive and out-of-the-box knitwear. I’m, ooh, loath to pick favorites, because the show was in its entirety a highlight of the Berlin shows these past few days for me, so my heartfelt congratulations to every single designer who took part . Yet I did have a soft spot for Alina Nazari’s reworking of the MA1 flight jacket, Luis Buchwald’s cascading ruffles, Waiian Aung’s nipped-waist gray coat traced with gold thread, Shahnaz Bakthiyorova’s black greatcoat crewel worked with white yarn, Stefan Uhr’s chic-y chic black pant suit and cocktail dress combo, and the upcycled plaid shirt- bomber hybrid of David Sandersfeld.
That’s the aesthetic sweep of the proceedings, but of course there’s more going on than that. What’s writ large is how a whole new generation of fashion designers see what they do and what they value. (And to add to that; it’s something I’d love to see replicated in New York, this group showing to support those on the very cusp of coming into the industry. Actually, maybe all the fashion capitals should be following Berlin’s lead.)
What struck Arp about all the designers taking part, she said, “is that they are all committed to sustainability. Some might be more political about it, others less so, but it’s absolutely intrinsic to who they are and what they do.” The other thing she noted was the emphasis on craft—on tailoring, draping, printing, embroidering, and embellishing. “We’re looking for innovative ideas, but also how they’re executed,” Arp said. “I looked at everything; I had their clothes in my hands.”
If fashion has these past few years been focused on the notion of creative direction, the orchestration of product, image, and branding, this crew are all ready, willing, and able to roll up their sleeves and actually make. Not for them the idea of a flattened vision of fashion to be viewed through a phone screen, but one imbued with corporeal reality. All week, chatting to designers here who’ve been in business three years, five years, and more, that has been the constant refrain; getting through a challenging time in the industry and the world at large has been hugely helped by the physical bond they’ve felt through connecting more deeply with being hands-on with their work. That’s a glimmer of hope we can all lean into.
Photo: Andreas Hofrichter/ Courtesy of Berlin Curated1/15Berlin Curated: Yannic Pretzlaff
Checkerboard conceptualism courtesy of Yannic Pretzlaff.
Photo: Andreas Hofrichter/ Courtesy of Berlin Curated2/15Berlin Curated: Rosalba Johanna Faroqhi
Rosalba Johanna Faroqhi’s lace, creating and spiral ruffles.