Berlin Fashion Week: Day 2

Dorothee Schumacher, the designer from Düsseldorf, kicked off the first full day of Fashion Week Berlin by embracing feminine cuts, with Grecian-inspired floaty dresses, high-waisted skirts and chiffon blouses. Her pleated sleeves, tweeds and plus-fours had echoes of an English country house weekend, but in soft oranges, pinks, purples and browns. Bows were the big theme of the collection: at least half of the models had huge, thick ribbons tied around their necks, and they also appeared on waistbands and blouses.

Next up was Lala Berlin, one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the day. Leyla Piedayesh’s brainchild initially started as a knitwear label but has now branched out into other clothing. The Autumn / Winter 2009 / 2010 collection was called “Wild West Trapper”, a nod to the American pioneering spirit of the19th century. The collection was heavily knitwear-based, with chunky-knit fishermen’s jumpers over leather miniskirts and snakeskin trousers, mostly in black, or black-striped with blue, red and green. We saw a number of different patchwork combinations: leather, grey wool and different black knits on a minidress, for instance. There were studs here and there, on tights, and the collar of a red trouser suit. Sheer, blue dresses were another feature of Lala Berlin, as well as a sheer, blue jewelled jumpsuit.  

Strenesse Blue added a ‘blues’ touch to the opening of its show with a live jazz trumpet solo. Although the collection was called ‘Blue’, it embraced a stunning colour palate with short, pink corduroy trousers, purple tartan skirts and turquoise, short skinny jeans. The tweed hats and brown ankle boots had an English countryside flair, but there were a few quirky pieces such as a yellow, tuxedo-style jumpsuit; and we saw some jewelled studs on vests and dresses too. Strenesse Blue also showed a menswear collection, which included short trousers, knitted sweaters and short, double-breasted jackets.

Kaviar Gauche was the big crowd puller of the day. VIP guests included Boris Becker, designers Wolfgang Joop and Michael Michalsky, and the German actresses Heike Makatsch (best-known in the UK for her role in “Love Actually” and former relationship with Daniel Craig) and Martina Gedeck of the Oscar-nominated “Baader-Meinhof Complex”. Eva Padberg, the German model and former face of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, was also there. Unfortunately, someone else in the front row was wearing the same gold-trimmed Kaviar Gauche dress as her.

Kaviar Gauche started the show by blasting the audience with the sound of industrial fans and lighting to go with it, like something from a horror film. Then the models, all of them naked apart from flesh-coloured panties and poker-straight hair extensions over their chests, hit the catwalk to the sound of Queen classics. We didn’t see any clothes at all, just bags, gold- and tasselled necklaces, and feathered scarves. Half-moon, leather pleated bags are one of Kaviar Gauche’s trademarks. They came in black leather, animal print and chunky beaded handles, alongside the models’ elaborate neckwear. I thought it was bold of the Berlin-based duo Alexandra Fischer-Roehler and Johanna Kühl, who are famous for their evening dresses, to eliminate the clothes from their show altogether. Perhaps we’ll be wearing necklaces, fabulous bags, and nothing else next winter?