BERLIN (Aug. 5, 2005) From the runway to the party scene, the third time around was a charm for Berlin Fashion Week. While the line-up was heavy on German designers such as Hugo Boss, Pure Berlin, and Karl Kuehne, Vivienne Westwood rounded out the week and wowed audiences with her Anglomania collection. But regardless of nationality, almost every designer brought lively color and a sense of fun to the runway.

Basso & Brooke

Light, loose and bright are clearly the trends to watch for spring/summer ’09. On the runway, fabric hugged but didn’t suffocate, with loose draping being a key trend. Suzana Peric drew from a large palette of loud and upbeat prints. With a full-length silk evening dress, Peric adeptly displayed a sophisticated look that was part hippy chick, part fashionista. Sisi Wasabi bucked the trend toward ’70s retro with her elegant parade of elaborately stitched, silvery satin tops and vibrant orange minis paired with matching clutches. Lac et Mel, with their homage to Coco Chanel, also chose tailoring over billowing styles.

Vivienne Westwood

While the Basso & Brooke collection of Louis XIV-inspired couture was definitely the highlight of the week, the Vogue hosted cocktail party for Phillip Lim at The Corner (where guests could purchase €200 limited edition t-shirts) was by far the hottest ticket. The Motorola hosted after party for Unrath & Strano was also a crowd favorite. According to designers Klaus Unrath and Ivano Strano, their Celebrity collection, which debuted at Fashion Week, was inspired by “a beautiful, warm, summer evening.” The designers also announced a new direction, saying, "Unrath & Strano has changed from a couture label to a couture and pret-á-porter label with the latest collection."

Basso & Brooke

Buyers filed into the trade show Premium, which ran in tandem with the main event. Exhibitors, led by Ed Hardy, Jordache by Heidi Klum, and Eastpak were out in force. Eastpak took the opportunity to introduce their new Eley Kishimoto line both in the showroom and on the catwalk. The well attended-event saw groups of buyers primarily focused on accessories and footwear.

Lac et Mel

Innovative footwear and accessories stood out in the Premium showrooms. Tiger of Sweden displayed suede, knee-high boots with dramatic cut-outs on the upper. While not quite practical for December, they made a provocative statement for August. Odd Molly, a Stockholm-based label which counts Anthropologie among its customers, featured a narrow range of floppy, utilitarian bags for the cappuccino-sipping urban warrior.

Mykita, a Berlin-based optical company, showed off highly functional designs of the moment, including frames inspired by the Dalai Lama and Sophia Loren. The brand’s handmade, ergonomically correct Flash line is lightweight, pinless and virtually indestructible.

Designer Vivienne Westwood with actress Kim Cattrall

Vivenne Westwood, who counted Berlin as a second home when she taught at a local fashion school, closed out the week with Anglomania. The post-1970s retrospective of her work featured oversized 1980s silhouettes, hip-hop chains, and multicolor mini-dresses paired with open toe rubber pumps in powdered blue or white with red plastic hearts. Westwood, now officially a dame, sat in the front row alongside “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall, who brought some Hollywood star power to the event.

  More Industry News Articles