Berlin Designers’ Moodboards Were a Mix of David Beckham & Dragon-Slaying
At Berlin Fashion Week, Reference Studios’ INTERVENTION series delivered a tightly curated showcase of some of the city's finest talent. Both new and established designers set runways alight, with creations that spanned everything from goblin-heeled bikini looks to satiny polka-dotted suits in boots.
Starring GmbH, Ottolinger, LUEDER, and David Koma, the fourfold offshoot event truly made a case for the German-capital's brewing breakthrough, long paler in comparison to other European fashion stages.
Berlin is on the come-up, with certain voices wondering if it could fill the void left behind by London's once-subversive, now-faded presence on fashion week calendars.
As for the actual clothes on display, the designers’ collections could barely have been less alike, optically at least. Some were inspired by David Beckham, others by the slaying of dragons.
David Koma looked at the British soccer (sorry, football) legend's revered 2000s style, which meant baggy jeans stacked atop flip flops, some camo here, a few rhinestones there, and the occasional v-neck. Oh, and that faux fur-trimmed parka over bermudas? High-low styles are coming at us, at an aggressive pace.
Elsewhere, GmbH presented what's been another familiar motif this season, but prismed through its signature brand of androgynous tailoring. Almost pajama-like in their liquidly silky movement, boxer briefs and button-downs stomped down the aisle, with pleather overknees on-foot.
“Masallah”-spelling ruching, tiny metal logo appliqués, or sheeted €100 bills provided some of the more everyday 'fits with sentimental and political oomph.
Speaking of sentimental, Ottolinger's edit drew from that very distinct strain of big sister cool girl energy, which materialized in denim corsets, micro shorts, and sheer printed tees. It's that older sibling you've always looked up to for their wider bandwidth of life experience and perceived fearlessness.
LUEDER, too, leaned into a mythos of childhood heroism, with a sartorial reinterpretation of the “Saint George and the Dragon” tale. Flowy florals, horned shoes, and armory-evoking sweatshirts set the scene here, for technically smart garments that hinged on the fantastical but retained a strong sense of wearability — a feat that, come to think of it, all four labels succeeded at.
All this is part of what's been Reference Studios’ gradual pursuit to undo preconceptions and uplift Berlin's homegrown artisans.
By fostering ingenuity and using it to cut through noise, the INTERVENTION project aimed to step in, claim, and spruce up a space for work that speaks to both the creative and commercial needs of modern fashion.
And, oh boy, intervene it did.
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