From Marlon Ferry To Namilia: Here Is Everything You Missed At Berlin Fashion Week

The month of July is signified by the first proper heat wave and hot, hotter outfits being spotted on the streets of Berlin where every fashionista is upping their dressing game to the max in anticipation of the city’s most fabulous days. It is Berlin Fashion Week.

From Marlon Ferry to Namilia: Here is everything you missed at Berlin Fashion Week…

Riana & Nina

Riana + Nina‘s latest collection was being showcased at the Greek embassy, fitting for the by the country‘s folklore inspired designs. I experienced less of a classic catwalk and more of a beautiful dance show for which the designer’s had dancers from the Greek theatre flown in. The brand is known for sourcing vintage fabrics and creating true garment magic bringing new life into the materials. The intricately embroidered gowns were only rivalled by the dazzling jewellery. Each bead, sequin and embellishment has been carefully been added in long handwork by the incredible design team. The spectacle evoke dreams of sunny afternoons at the Mediterranean coast and dancing into the sunset.

Neo.Fashion

The eight edition of Neo.Fashion offered young and creative talents the largest stage of Berlin Fashion Week, as well as a valuable platform for growth and networking. Design graduates and talents from all over Germany and Ukraine got the chance to participate in the event and show their impressive creations. Personal favourites were the Selva show with his automobile influenced creations, Nowrubi with designs inspired by founder Ruben’s life as racing driver and German Air Force officer as well as Jenny Haas’ collection “Be Lillith Not Eve” thematising women being caged in patriarchal structures and their effort to break free of those.

^{Images courtesy of (from left to right) @selva________________ ; @nowrubi.de ; @pinkrain_inthebrain}

Marc Cain

Even though the show wasn’t held in Berlin itself but in its neighbour town Potsdam, the newest Marc Cain collection with the Sanssouci castle as backdrop made the drive one hundred percent worth it. From American icon Kelly Rutherford to German actress Nilam Farooq, the front row was as studded with stars as the pantsuits were with sequins. Ethereal music accompanied the models’ walk who presented the newest creations in combination with a wet hair look and ballet flats or mini heels. What I have observed: Citrus colours and pastel shades are in in combination with cheeky metallics and fringe bags.

Rebekka Ruétz

The Austrian designer’s latest collection “Black Sun” revolved all darkness and light, transformation and renewal, life and death and black holes and the ways of the sun reflect many of life’s themes. Prints showing a solar eclipse, a red moon, hieroglyphs and symbols of the sun god Horus were the defining design element of the collection. In bags incorporated LED threads created for outstanding catwalk moments – a personal favourite must have been the illuminated wine bag. The models strutted down to mesmerising beats wearing trainers and black and red hair extensions. As always the Rebekka show brought people together celebrating the joy in self expressing that fashion is supposed to stand for.

Damur

Straying away form a classic catwalk presentation, Damur decided to showcase their latest creations in form of.a film. Inviting their dearest friends and press representatives for an exclusive streaming at the Delphi LUX theatre near Zoologischer Garten, 20 minutes of pure fashion film bliss enthralled the audience only to be topped by a ballerina emerging from the crowd wearing one of the newest designs and dancing between the rows and in front of the screen. The film “Skirt” challenges societal expectations of gender and encourages viewers to look beyond traditional norms and reevaluate their own opinions and expectations.

Namilia

One of the most anticipated shows was Namilia with its unapologetically cool designs only the egdiest of people could authentically pull off. Inspired by the paparazzi culture and tabloid gossip of the aughts and in collaboration with EdHardy the “Good Girl Gone Bad Collection” served prints, denims and slogans from “I ❤ Ozempic” to “too pretty for Rehab” fuelling the controversy around the brand. But the buzz is what the designers seem to be all about after winning the lawsuit against Hermès. The French luxury Maison sued the Berlin-based for showcasing cut-up Birkin Bags in their “S/S24-In Loving Memory of My Sugar Daddy” collection. Whilst opinions about the designs might divide fashionistas around the globe it is undeniable that this show did not only serve a new take on Millennials’ love-hate brand EdHardy but most and foremost vibes over vibes with an eclectic catwalk soundtrack having the front row dance their hearts out to “Let Me Think About It” by Ida Corr and Fedde Le Grand as well as “Get Sexy” by the Sugababes.

Maximilian Gedra

The in 2023 founded brand Maximilian Gedra has already made a name for itself with otherworldly creations emphasising body-reshaping 3D silhouettes weaving Berlin’s signature edgy essence together with battling outworn thought concepts of gender norms. Always striving to create a safe space for everyone challenging beauty standards and finding exquisiteness in the unconventional, this season’s collection “GOLIATH” was the perfect visualisation of the brand’s values. The show was being held at The Ballery, an intimate space, dominated by a piano in the middle, chairs adorned with white roses around it. A pianist starts serenading the audience as artificial fog came out of a corner, escorting the models in the transcendental creations.

Marlon Ferry

Making a fashion week debut is not an easy quest for any fashion brand, but Marlon Ferry served, took and ate the cake – and left no crumbs. “Artifacts Of Uncertain Transformation” consists of sculptural designs with 3D printed details out of fashion industry waste and wire adornments. The scene evoke dystopian fantasies with a soundtrack not quite music not quite anything else, fog – fog machines seemed to be a big must-have this season – and a slow walk, captivating the audience’s attention and facilitating to actually take the time to properly look at the details and handwork that went into the creations. I for one am most curious to see, what Marlon Ferry will show us next for this is definitely a brand to watch…

William Fan

Not tagging along with other fashion houses presenting a new collection of fashion designs, William Fan took this season to launch his first fine jewellery line “Table Staple”. The intricate creations drew inspiration from the designer’s heritage and childhood. Being the son two gastronomes, Fan reimagined daily used items in Asian households such as rice grains, bowls and chopsticks and transformed them into unique fine jewellery pieces ranging form bracelets to rings and earrings. One thing is certain: I am a fan of the Fan.