Modern, innovative, and creative

Left to right: Michael Biel, state secretary; Christiane Arp, chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany e.V; Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin; Manuela Kampp-Wirtz, Co-CEO of Burda Verlag; Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Operations (Credit: Isa Foltin / Fashion Council Germany)

Berlin Fashion Week has opened. In the Stilwerk KantGaragen, more than 350 guests from the political, cultural and creative scene celebrated the start of a fashion week that not only breaks new ground in terms of fashion consciousness.

Berlin, 17.01.2023: Berlin Fashion Week was officially opened on Monday evening with a state reception for invited guests in the presence of the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, the Berlin Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Operations Stephan Schwarz together with Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany, and Manuela Kampp-Wirtz, Chief Publishing Office of Burda Verlag.

The venue for the “Berlin Fashion Week Opening Reception hosted by Firesidechat” was the Stilwerk KantGaragen in Charlottenburg, a location that will also play a central role in the coming days of Berlin Fashion Week with numerous events. The use of the historic high-rise garage from 1930 as a stage for the fashion, art and creative scene also symbolises the spirit of optimism of Berlin Fashion Week. With sophisticated shows, events and formats, the fashion industry is setting new, trend-setting accents in terms of sustainability, diversity and quality awareness.

In an open competition, fashion labels and multiplier formats with event concepts could apply for prize money from the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Enterprises. The selected labels in the new format “Berlin Contemporary” show a creative power to break new ground: 18 outstanding designers, among them LML Studio, SF1OG, Malaika Raiss, ODEEH, Rianna+Nina and Esther Perbandt, show their fashion collections and concepts at different Berlin locations. Collection images will be published daily on the Berlin Fashion Week website.

The Governing Mayor welcomed more than 350 guests at the Stilwerk KantGaragen. Franziska Giffey: “Berlin is the creative and fashion capital. This industry ensures a great economic power in Berlin. Our city is as diverse as the fashion that is created here. It always offers new and interesting venues for the presentation of new fashion by established designers and also by up-and-coming talents who have been successful in the competition. I congratulate them very warmly. It is a sign of solidarity that collections by designers from Ukraine are also part of the programme again.”

Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Operations, emphasised in his speech: “Berlin stands for creativity, diversity and progress. Berlin’s fashion industry also plays a major role in this. Berlin Fashion Week creates diverse spaces where designers combine fashion, design and innovation and thus set important impulses for the future. This is especially true for key themes such as sustainability and diversity, which our fashion location stands for in particular.”

Left to right: Designers Jean Gritsfeldt and Esther Perbandt
(Credit: Isa Foltin / Fashion Council Germany)  

Christiane Arp, co-initiator of the Berlin Salon and chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany e.V., describes the spirit of optimism surrounding Berlin Fashion Week as follows: “Fashion has its own non-verbal language that has to evolve in the cultural and social context in order to remain relevant and be understood. Now there is a new generation of designers who take up themes that concern us all. The young creatives have already anchored these in their DNA, so to speak. Berlin Fashion Week with exciting formats like Berlin Contemporary is a wonderful stage that gives us a new perspective on fashion from and in Germany.”

Manuela Kampp-Wirtz, Co-CEO of Burda Verlag, said on the opening evening: “Berlin Fashion Week is one of the most important platforms for the fashion industry and continues to gain relevance, especially for young German design labels. Talented young designers and the exchange within the industry must be promoted. Berlin Fashion Week and the Fashion Council Germany make a decisive contribution to the promotion as well as the professionalisation and international visibility of the German fashion industry.”

Among the numerous guests were the designers Esther Perbandt (Esther Perbandt), Damur Huang (#DAMUR), William Fan (William Fan), Angelika Kammann (Société Angelique), Nina Knaudt (RIANNA+NINA), Jale Richert and Michele Beil (both Richert Beil), Antonia Goy and Björn Kubeja (both Working Title) and the Ukrainian-born Jean Gritsfeldt (Jean Gritsfeldt), Melanie Bauer (Melagance), André Maeder (KaDeWe Group), Gernot Lenz (Tom Tailor), Marissa Schiestl-Swarovski (Swarovski Foundation), Anita Tillmann and Jörg Arntz (both PREMUM Group), Magdalena Schaffrin and Max Gilgenmann (both 202030 Summit), Sven Marquardt, Désiré Feuerle (The Feuerle Collection) and Sevil Uguz (PLATTE. BERLIN).