When it comes to graduate fashion shows, there is a raw excitement: something that comes with the unknown. In Berlin, that sense is heightened. Known for giving its young artists more freedom, the city produces some of the most interesting emerging talent: those not bound by conventional methods and standards of the fashion industry.
During grad week, all eyes are peeled, scouring for the next John Galliano or Marc Jacobs. Renowned art school, Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK) serves up an assortment of this type of decadent visual delight on a silver platter. Switching the script, and having the models placed throughout the university building, while viewers went on a journey down the catwalk, the innovative form of the show allowed for imagination to take hold; as the crowd moved through the rooms, they were greeted with different concepts, each space mirroring the designs they held. The collaboration with students from other majors could be sensed in the striking sound installations and backdrops accompanying the garments.
Placing the emphasis on the designers’ narratives, the interactive presentation left guests wanting more. Luckily, those who got back in line could do endless laps of the building! Below is an introduction to ten designers who showed their looks last Saturday and exemplify the type of unbound imagination that will leave you insatiable.
Images Courtesy of Laura Schaeffer.
PATRICK ENGELMAYER
Using pre-owned garments, upcycled to reimagine wardrobe classics, Patrick Engelmayer’s collection ‘RETAILORING’ examines the values we associate with, and express through clothing. The symbolic nature of fashion is one that is constantly evolving with the passage of time, each moment re-contextualizing an item. The ever-present attachment to the past is shown in the construction and detailings of Engelmayer’s pieces. Mutating existing memories to creating new ones, Engelmayer plays with stitching and techniques to reconfigure the looks. Displayed through a mock photo shoot, viewers got to see models experiment with wearability of the garments, ranging from button-downs to disfigured dress pants.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
MAIKE LAUBER
‘Zero is an Even Number’ was the name of Maike Lauber’s collection, which was influenced by the way in which dyscalculia impacts those it effects. A learning disordering the field of mathematics, dyscalculia changes how one views forms and structures. Working within the digital space, the designer chose to transform a 1950s wedding dress, creating a variety generated shapes. The fabrics Lauber used are structured, making the looks hyper-3D. The abstract prints across the collection catch viewers’ eyes, causing them to question the way in which they interact with their surroundings, and the garments.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
MONA GUTHEIL
If your attention hasn’t been captured yet, the works of Mona Gutheil will certainly do the trick. A “clickbait” commentary, the designer’s Bachelor’s thesis titled ‘You Won’t Believe’ is a satirical criticism of consumer culture. The Balenciaga-esque looks tie in mobile objects with functional garments, using silhouettes such as the tracksuit to create formal, delicately draped pieces. Adding a performative element to the collection, the everyday objects, which the pieces can be worn with or without, act as live attention grabbers; this emphasizes the designer’s focus on carefully choosing where we look and engage in a time when social media constantly bombards users with content.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
DOMINIK BITTMANN
Dominik Bittmann’s wine stained dresses bring something new to the table. Quite literally. During the presentation, the model’s walked back and forth across a faux-runway; they looked dainty in the unwrinkled white fabric which fell over the edges of the table-like structures holding up the bodies of their skirts. The neatly made corsets, which acted as the tops of the dresses, highlighted the way in which the pieces combined references from 18th century fashion with the contemporary. The clean shapes brought attention to the red rings stamped onto the surface of the “tables”, contradicting the feeling of purity brought about by the fabric.
Images Courtesy of Laura Schaeffer.
CLEMENS KRAMER
Influenced by the contrast between city life in Berlin and the relaxed village of Vorarlberg, Clemens Kramer’s collection named ‘6900haus’ looks into the stereotyping of people who are advanced in age in regards to their fashion choices; this is something occurring in any location. Adding notes of functionality to basics such as cardigans, joggers, and slouchy caps, the designer chose to transform the garments that are stereotypically worn by this group. Putting a spin on pieces which are known for the comfort they give to wearers, Kramer used their 6900haus “cut fit & zip” methodology to innovate garments that have a transformational element. The playfulness of the collection was brought to light as it was shown on model’s who sat smoking against a white picket fence and the backdrop of a fake yard.
Images Courtesy of Hyesoo Chung.
LAURIN STECHER
A smile must come over the viewer’s face as they are greeted with Laurin Stecher’s ‘U-Form’. With the pieces, which are crafted using molds, imitating textiles, the designer brings existing forms such as the hoodie into a new perspective. Created by utilizing techniques from the packing industry, the thermoplastic materials, though stiff and unmoving, bring a lightness into the room with them. Influenced by the appropriation of the urban space of Berlin, the sculptural pieces work to change the audience’s perception of garments typically associated with this scene.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
TITIA GREFE
Titia Grefe’s use of prints is reminiscent of the glittery graphic tees members of the audience probably wore as a child. Rhinestones and cutesy hearts combined with functional cargo bottoms made the looks perfectly eclectic and plenty of enjoyment. The skirt, which appeared made from a pocket-covered backpack, highlighted the designer’s ability to combine function with fun. Surrealist elements were incorporated through the designer’s play with dimensionality and cut outs.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
LENA KLEINERT
Images Courtesy of Laura Schaeffer.
ARCADIUSZ SWIETON
Without regret, I must inform that Arcadiusz Swieton’s clothes are not available off-the-rack; on the contrary, Swieton’s lacy body suits were connected to it. Rolling back and fourth down the hallway, the brooding models were attached to a metal clothing rack by their looks, trapped against a wall of eccentrically-colored fabrics. The floral laces in electric blue and brown created a type of web over the wearer, artfully joining them to the object. A look into the performative potential of fashion design, the pieces exemplify the corner at which garment and sculpture meet.
Images Courtesy of Nikolaus Brade.
MINJI PARK
A mish-mosh of tactile materials, you’ll definitely “heart” Minji Park’s experimental projects. With coquette ribbons and lace encompassing the models, the duo of looks can be shown together, the sleeves connecting to create a heart-shape. Nude nylon stocking creates a layering effect with insulation foam. Metal wire gives the pieces an “out of this world” element, juxtaposing the frills and gathers that make up majority of the clothes. From head to toe, the models embodied characters from the designer’s universe, allowing outsiders to catch a glimpse of the whimsy occurring there.