Twice a year, new creations are presented at Berlin Fashion Week. Numerous creative young designers, who are flourishing in the fashion capital of Berlin, make the city even more special. Although Berlin was not considered one of the global “Big Four” fashion capitals of the 20th century, like Paris or New York, the fashion industry is becoming more multipolar in the 21st century and Berlin has become the centre stage for the international fashion and lifestyle industries. It has gained great international attention for its creativity and difference from other fashion weeks. After all, diversity is the most defining characteristic of Berlin’s fashion scene.

The capital has been known as a creative hub ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Thomas Bentz, Fashion Designer, once affirmed the attraction of the German capital when he said: “People abroad are increasingly interested in anything that comes from Berlin”. Leyla Piedayesh, also a designer, explains why the city is so popular: “Berlin is open to everything new. You can find innovation on every corner. This is very inspiring and leaves space for personal creative fulfilment”.

Since its establishment in 2007, Berlin Fashion Week is gaining in popularity worldwide. In 2012, some 250 000 people visited this event. This also has an effect on the city’s economy. With the growing number of visitors in Berlin, the event can have a big influence on local tourism.

According to official statistics, every tenth working Berliner makes a living from creative industries. One in six business in Berlin is part of the creative sector. And, importantly, Berlin has something for everyone. This makes the city’s fashion scene ambitious as well as inspiring. In 2010, Berlin’s fashion industry accounted for more than 2 billion euro, around 10% of the city’s cultural industry. It can easily be said that Berlin is Germany’s centre for creativity.

This event is not solely aimed at showcasing fashion. People of different nations and cultures will come to one place and will share their opinions and enjoy this special week together. This season will once again be showcasing green fashion, presenting the latest trends and discussing current issues surrounding the topic of Ecological Design.

Highlights of the Berlin Fashion Week, which takes place from 28th of June to the 1st of July, include the fashion trade fairs Premium Exhibitions at Station Berlin and Panorama at the Berlin ExpoCenter as well as the runway shows for the Fashion Week Berlin, which will take place at the Erika-Heß-Stadion in Berlin Mitte. The event had to be moveed from the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin due to the European Football Championship.

• - http://www.fashion-week-berlin.com/en/about-us.html
• - https://www.berlin-partner.de/fileadmin/user_upload/01_chefredaktion/02_pdf/publikationen/Fashion%20in%20Berlin%20(english).pdf
• - http://mbfashionweek.com/berlin

News from Berlin
Veronika Mecnarowska, Berlin Global