storytelling, craftsmanship and new perspectives
Halftime at Berlin Fashion Week. BUZIGAHILL reflected on post-independence East Africa. UNVAIN presented a character-driven “Skins” collection. Kilian Kerner shared his deeply personal “Burning Symphony.” Nowrubi poetically explored memory. Today’s presentations proved that fashion continues to be a medium for culture, emotion, and transformation.
Alongside inspiring showcases at Der Berliner Salon, RAUM.Berlin and the FCG Showroom, METAMORPHOSIS powered by eBay and Le Black Sofa kept the conversation around circularity, innovation and the future of fashion alive.
BUZIGAHILL
For Spring/Summer 2027, BUZIGAHILL’s thirteenth “Return to Sender” collection explored the period following East Africa’s independence. The decade between 1960 and 1970 was marked by a renewed sense of freedom, self-determination, and identity, reflected in the evolving ways people dressed. Designer Bobby Kolade drew inspiration from two key historical figures.
One was Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, after whom the short-sleeved Kaunda suit – designed for the country’s climate – is named. Worn without a tie, the suit departed from the rigid, colonial tailoring traditions of the time and came to symbolize a new spirit of ease and solidarity.
The second was Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya of Toro, the Ugandan diplomat, the country’s first female lawyer, and later an international model. She embodied elegance and understood fashion as a strategic instrument of global diplomacy. As Bobby Kolade explained at the opening of the show, both figures represent an era of optimism and became enduring icons of a burgeoning culture of freedom. Read more…
DER BERLINER SALON
The event took place in Große Orangerie of Schloss Charlottenburg. Der Berliner Salon presented a curated selection of 36 designers. These designers are from Germany’s fashion and design scene. This presentation was part of Berlin Fashion Week. For more than a decade, the group exhibition has been curated by Christiane Arp (Fashion Council Germany) and organized by Marcus Kurz (Nowadays). It has provided emerging talents with a platform to showcase their work. They present to an international audience of industry professionals.
Set against the historic backdrop of the palace, outstanding craftsmanship and innovative design came together to highlight the diversity and creative excellence of contemporary German fashion.
UNVAIN
UNVAIN views the Spring/Summer collection as a direct continuation of its BFW debut in February, reflected both in its choice of materials – with a renewed focus on leather and faux fur – and in stylistic elements like transparency.
The title “Skins” plays on clothing as a protective second skin, while also referencing the teen series of the same name from the 2000s. With each look, UNVAIN founder Robert Friedrichs created a character, capturing its essence in a single sentence in a booklet handed to guests upon arrival. From “rich parents, poor morals” to “self-doubt? unfamiliar,” the show told an entertaining story that drew visitors even deeper into the world of the label. Read more…
RAUM.Berlin
On the second day of RAUM.Berlin, the rooms within John Jahr Haus were once again transformed into a series of immersive fashion experiences. LEALABOB placed her looks in everyday settings. These settings ranged from a bus stop to a skateboarding scene. Laura de Sousa evoked the atmosphere of 1960s Portugal through an evocative spatial presentation.
With a “Reverse Fashion Show”, SOCIÉTÉ ANGELIQUE inverted the traditional runway format, inviting guests to walk the catwalk themselves while observing the mannequins. Vladimir Karaleev, meanwhile, placed his experimental approach to pattern cutting and conceptual understanding of clothing at the forefront through a deliberately minimalist presentation.
METAMORPHOSIS DAY 1
METAMORPHOSIS – dialogues about change, powered by eBay, set a strong tone for the transformation of the fashion industry from day one. The programme centered on circularity and sustainability. It explored how value, growth, and responsibility can be reimagined for the future. Keith Metcalfe (eBay) and Alizée Verstraeten (What’s Trending Tomorrow) opened the programme with a forward-looking perspective on the future of fashion commerce in Europe.
T-Michael (Norwegian Rain) and Natascha von Hirschhausen shared their insights on conscious design, adaptability, and how meaningful value can be created beyond the product itself. The programme concluded with discussions on material innovation. It also looked at the evolving role of design. Contributions came from Kirsten Siegler (vbc), Daniela and Annette Felder (Felder Felder & Future Fashion Concepts), Caroline Rush (UNation), and Scott Lipinski (Fashion Council Germany). Read more…
KILIAN KERNER
With “BURNING SYMPHONY,” Kilian Kerner presented his most personal collection to date at Skatehalle Berlin. It is a reckoning with pain and loss. It also showcases the courage to move forward. 36 looks for women and men move between toughness and fragility: black represents inner turmoil, while white, cream, and brown tones speak of hope. Deliberately burned elements and scorch marks run through the looks as traces of a turbulent time. The show finds its emotional peak in a white wedding dress with burned details. Read more…
NOWRUBI
Nowrubi Atelier Berlin presents “EPHEMERAL,” a collection about the fading of memories. At Atelier Gardens, large-scale translucent curtains divide the space and change the view of the looks depending on where the models stand, shifting the pieces between clarity and blur. A subtle scent concept accompanies the show, meant to evoke individual associations in guests.
The entire collection was made from deadstock fabrics, leftover textile stock that gains new meaning through upcycling. “The show is an invitation to pause and consider the value of the fragments that remain in our memory,” says designer Ruben Nowak. Read more…
LE BLACK SOFA
This evening, Berlin Fashion Week continued its discourse program with “Le Black Sofa” at the SUPERMARQUE Concept Store. Berlin’s State Secretary for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Michael Biel, met there with representatives from the creative industry. They represented fashion and culture. They gathered for an exchange on the intersection of culture and business. The discussion centered on how Berlin can further strengthen its creative potential and sustainably grow as a fashion hub.
FCG SHOWROOM
Were those sequins or crystals shimmering so beautifully on the runway? Would you describe that jacket as green, blue – or perhaps turquoise? And what does the craftsmanship of these remarkable pieces look like up close? For anyone who didn’t have enough time to fully take in the collections during the fast-paced schedule of runway shows and presentations, the FCG Showroom at Hotel Zoo Berlin will be open from Saturday through Monday.
Find all information on the participating brands and opening hours on Instagram.
Leave a comment.