The young designer Laura Gerte is working and living in Berlin. Gerte aims to work as sustainably as possibly, mainly by upcycling and using only a reduced amount of new recycled and sustainable fabrics. All over prints, mixed together and bold silhouettes are her signature design language. This season she will premiering at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and gave us an exclusive glimpse of the creation of her collection.

What does your brand stand for?

What’s the the transformative potential of clothing? Laura Gerte’s designs are simultaneously question and answer. Body and garments are intertwined through textured hybrid silhouettes and strong lines. She aims to be as sustainable as possible, realized through a large amount of upcycled garments and a few selected recycled fabrics.

How would you describe your new collection? 

“Multiply” is an interplay of protection and attraction, of old garments transformed into desirable new shapes. It’s a multiplication of garments, textiles and lines, resulting in confident and bold silhouettes. 

What inspired you to create this collection?

“Multiply” is centered around abundant second hand materials like jeans and T-Shirts. It’s the attempt to solve problems of textile abundance through design. 

What are you looking forward to the most this season?

My first runway show!

Follow along digitally @mbfw.berlin to catch a glimpse of our designers behind the scenes and get impressions of their collection development.

All events of MBFW are staged in compliance with governing hygiene rules and regulations at the date of the event.

Words by Lea Egerer

Austrian designer Rebekka Ruétz has been designing clothes for her eponymous fair fashion label since 2009, this time we asked her about what has changed for her since her last show and what will never change.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? What was it? 

The last time I did something for the first time was last weekend: I used my new, pink cordless impact drill to screw the new furniture together and that was awesome! I felt like Superwoman for a moment.

What’s new in this collection? 

My new Spring/Summer 2023 collection celebrates a curious perspective on romance, tenderness and today’s freedom to express yourself individually. She is headstrong and poetic – and therefore she has a very personal touch.

Did you try any new material or technique this season?

This Season, we tried a new technique: we crocheted our accessories and I think the result turned out quite good.

Did you try something new to calm down from the stress? 

A few weeks ago, I started taking a nap after lunch to calm down from the stress and it’s so relaxing. I can really recommend it.

What is one thing that you will never change?

The one thing I will never change: The freedom to shape my creative work according to my ideas!

Follow along digitally @mbfw.berlin to catch a glimpse of our designers behind the scenes and get impressions of their collection development.

All events of MBFW are staged in compliance with governing hygiene rules and regulations at the date of the event.

Words by Lea Egerer

Ukrainian Designer Kristina Bobkova founded her namesake label in 2000, after she graduated from Kiev National University of Technology and Design. Her intention is to create designs that are made to last and stay relevant regardless of the time and and situation. The results are minimalistic, yet still feminine pieces that show her precision on the art of cutting.

In order to get to know her better, we wanted to know what she loves.

What is your favorite dish? 

My favorite dish is broccoli with gorgonzola sauce. I love to cook. My favorite recipe was just recently published by Vogue.ua.

What is your favorite song?

Domenique Dumont Sans Cesse, mon chéri. This song will be opening the BOBKOVA SS 2023 show in Berlin

What is your favorite movie?

“La Belle Époque” (2019). I saw it for the first time at the Grand Opening of the Odessa International Film Festival, and I have watched it many times after that.

What is your favorite book?

Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”. I love this book. I read it in school and read it many times after that. When I went to art school I even tried to draw sketches and illustrations for it.

What is your favorite exhibition?

This year, the fashion house of Yves Saint Laurent turns 60 years old. I visited the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris, saw how he worked, his sketches, models and cabinet, work and interviews of masters from his team. It was so inspiring!

What is your favorite destination?

My house in Ukraine. I have always dreamed of owning my own house and before the war started, my husband and I finally built it. I hope and believe that my family and I will live happily in this house in Kyiv pretty soon.

What is your favorite way to calm down?

Buddhist meditations. I have been practicing these meditations for about five years now and I consider it a very important practice in my life.

Follow along digitally @mbfw.berlin to catch a glimpse of our designers behind the scenes and get impressions of their collection development.

All events of MBFW are staged in compliance with governing hygiene rules and regulations at the date of the event.

Words by Lea Egerer

After hosting MBFW at the Kraftwerk in Berlin for three years, it is now time for a change. And because we do not do things by halves, we will be moving to a whole new venue: this season of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will be held at the „Telegraphenamt“! 

The former main telegraph office will be officially reopening as a hotel, dining location, event space and meeting point in the fall of 2022. But before the big opening we have the honor and could not be more excited to be hosting MBFW SS23 at the “Telegraphenamt” as the new venue.

„The Telegraphenamt is a real architectural gem. It offers MBFW and our designers a unique location in the heart of Berlin and perfectly underlines the repositioning of the MBFW boutique format New Luxury.“ Marcus Kurz, Managing Director NOWADAYS.

Matching the new location, there will also be a new approach for the MBFW with the focus on design and the resulting collections. Contemporary Boutique, High Fashion and New Luxury – those are the new elements of our reworked concept. Luxury for us means specializing on quality over quantity. As a result we minimized the shows that are being presented: Kilian Kerner, Laura Gerte, LML Studio, MALŪNE by Frida Weyer, rebekka ruétz are the designers that will be showing their newest collections this season. There will also be Panel Talks with industry experts on topics relevant to the zeitgeist. 

“Like no other city, Berlin stands for fashion, music and art and the interaction of the genres. Therefore, we are pleased to enable leading as well as emerging fashion labels to have special presentation spaces at MBFW this season. This venue, brought back to life, is a great place to showcase Berlin’s diversity and creativity.” Stephan Schwarz, Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.

With the support of the Senat for for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Estethica, the Fashion Council Germany and Neo.Fashion we will be continuing last seasons collaboration with Ukraine Fashion Week. This September we will be showcasing the newest designs from one of the biggest creative voices from Ukraine: Bobkova.

Follow along digitally @mbfw.berlin to catch a glimpse of our designers behind the scenes and get impressions of their collection development.

All events of MBFW are staged in compliance with governing hygiene rules and regulations at the date of the event.

Words by Lea Egerer

Jean Gritsfeldt Backstage Moments

Jean Gritsfeldt has been an inherent part of the Ukrainian fashion week and is the fastest growing fashion brand locally. The designer from Kyiv is renowned for his multi-layering, eccentric symbiosis of colour and texture, bold and original solutions in the cut. Due to the war in Ukraine Jean Gritsfeldt decided to not show his originally designed collection. “When you hide from bombs in shelters, subways or basements, no one cares what you are wearing. The only thing that matters is that you are alive”, the designer explained his decision.

“The words “How are you?” Is an everyday ritual, “Alive” is the answer you need to hear.” 

If you want to support the people suffering from the war in Ukraine, you can join our donation to Caritas.

The Ukrainian designer is living through the worst times of uncertainty at the moment. He was supposed to be in Berlin showing his collection. However, it wasn’t possible due to the war in his home country. After the team behind Fashion Revolution Germany and multiple volunteers offered to sew the collection from scratch in Berlin, Jean Griftsfeldt’s vision could come alive today in Berlin. 

Jean Gritsfeldt has been an inherent part of the Ukrainian fashion week and is the fastest growing fashion brand locally. The designer from Kyiv is renowned for his multi-layering, eccentric symbiosis of colour and texture, bold and original solutions in the cut. Due to the war in Ukraine Jean Gritsfeldt decided to not show his originally designed collection. “When you hide from bombs in shelters, subways or basements, no one cares what you are wearing. The only thing that matters is that you are alive”, the designer explained his decision.

“The words “How are you?” Is an everyday ritual, “Alive” is the answer you need to hear.” 

The designer stated that for him fashion is always a look towards the future. He showed simple clothes with strong messages. Words like “New Life”, “Unity” and “Independence” were written over the looks. It seemed like a wish for the future. This collection was about feelings and emotions. 

The strongest statement was a model covered in red paint, wearing a two piece that used to be white, covered in red paint as well, symbolizing blood. Her shirt said “Peace”. 

With the clothes comes a message, the most important one in times like these: “In times of uncertainty, the support for one another has never been so crucial. We must do what we can to help – not only in material efforts but also with our platforms and through our actions.“

Jean Griftsfeldt closed his show with a presentation of images of the current state in Ukraine, photographs of people fleeing, soldiers holding up children, trying to help them get rescued. It then went back to images that were showing the evolution and history of Ukrainian culture, showing what will be lost if this war will continue or even worse will be lost. 

If you want to support the people suffering from the war in Ukraine, you can join our donation to Caritas. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Like his hometown, Frankfurt, the fashion designer Elias Rumelis perfected the combination of urban effortlessness and a high-class attitude. He is creating pieces far away from the mainstream. He is always on the hunt with his designs, chasing the unexpected and playing with contrasts. 

Elias Rumelis wants us to get lost in the moment with his newest collection. He showcased the ultimate elevation of streetwear, presenting sweat suits. The matching pants had cargo elements like pockets and buckles. We saw different versions in grey, white and orange. Even matching coats and jackets with embroidered details. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Just like his hometown Frankfurt the fashion designer Elias Rumelis perfected the combination of urban effortlessness and High Class Attitude. Creating pieces far from the mainstream. The designer is always on the hunt, trying to chase the unexpected, playing with contrasts. 

Elias Rumelis wants us to get lost in the moment with his newest collection. He showcased the ultimate elevation of streetwear, presenting sweat suits. The matching pants had cargo elements like pockets and buckles. We saw different versions in grey, white and orange. Even matching coats and jackets with embroidered details. 

The biggest inspiration seemed to be the 90s hip hop era. Rumelis equipped college jackets, baggy overalls and pants with patches like smileys or graffiti slogans. The collection was kept in simple colors like black, grey and white with highlights of bright orange. 

A surprise element between the sporty looks was a asymmetrical knit look in white and black with bright colored stripes. As well as a checkered relaxed suit consisting of a elevated sweat pant and a loose bomber jacket. A matching cape was seen as well. 

The silhouettes Elias Rumelis opted for were either very baggy and oversized or completely skintight. Matching a fitted body suit with a big puffer jacket or a completely oversized look with a matching vest. It was also the first time whe designer sent the models down the runway with accessories like duffle bags and bucket hats. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

The increasing digitalisation has also increased our desire for getting back in touch with nature. In the last years, especially during the pandemic, arts and crafts have been making a big comeback. If it’s knitting, crocheting or doing pottery. The need to be working with your hands and ultimately value the work that went into the final piece has become increasingly important. 

Valuing clothes and not treating them as single-use objects has been a big challenge of the last decade. Since the clothing price has dropped rapidly, the appreciation behind the work that goes into it has been lost. 

With India being one of the biggest production countries of clothing imported into Germany, it is time to have a conversation on how to improve the valuation of our clothes in the future. 

Laila Tyabji (Craft Activist, Designer, Writer, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Dastkar), Rina Singh (Designer and Founder of the label Aka), Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow (Designer and Founder of Beneficial Design Institute), Evelyn Sitter (Designer and Textile Artist), Anjana Das (Creative Director and Founder of Made/In and White Champa) and Nicole Hardt (Creative Director and Founder of Made/In) have a conversation about the connection between fashion and craftsmanship and how the connection was lost during the industrialization but needs to be build back in order to appreciate the worth of our clothes again.

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Fashion magazine Flair has stopped by at MBFW Berlin this season. The Berlin-based fashion magazine and its style experts came to see the runways of MBFW participating designers and joined the panel talks.

Flair is the perfect destination for high fashion editorials and journalistic finesse. It unites the two passions, fashion and interior, in inspiring and unexpected ways. Every month, Flair showcases the newest trends from designers, brands, interior and fashion experts.

To find out more about their impressions, conclusions, and experiences of MBFW, go to their website flair-modemagazin.de and their Instagram channel flairmagazin.

Words by Lea Egerer

The new femininity: A celebration of the ever-changing perception of womanhood. The Austrian designer Rebekka Ruétz devoted her new collection to every woman and her unique, individual way.

Rebekka Ruétz established the creation of her patterns many seasons ago, continuing with that tradition this season as well. Prints meet bold colours meet asymmetrical cuts. The main focus is feeling comfortable in your skin. Rebekka Ruétz uses fabrics that gently touch the skin. Fine cotton, wool, fabulous lace, and vegan leather are made into flowy dresses, loose trench coats and asymmetrical blouses.

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

The new femininity: A celebration of the ever-changing perception of womanhood. The Austrian designer Rebekka Ruétz devoted her new collection to every woman and her unique, individual way. 

Rebekka Ruétz established the creation of her patterns many seasons ago, continuing with that tradition this season as well. Prints meet bold colours meet asymmetrical cuts. The main focus is feeling comfortable in your skin. Rebekka Ruétz uses fabrics that gently touch the skin. Fine cotton, wool, fabulous lace, and vegan leather are made into flowy dresses, loose trench coats and asymmetrical blouses. 

She is delivering new designs and a whole new attitude to life. In her signature look and color palette Rebekka Ruétz showed a collection that was full of suprises. She was playing with materials and shapes in all dimensions. We saw asymmetrical skirts, two-in-one pieces and layered skirt. A whole explorations of what is possible in the area of construction and design. 

Not just the silhouettes were unexpected but also the material choices as well as the play with color. There were all over looks in black vinyl as well as embroidered roses that were accompanied by leather details. 

The typical Rebekka Ruétz look is full of colors and of course patterns. The Austrian designer showed her love for prints in form of printed overalls, coat dresses and short dresses. She also experimented with monochrome looks in beige that played with shapes and construction. 

The highlight of the collection was a palazzo pant combined with an asymmetrical floor length vest made out of outerwear materials, shining in the colors of the rainbow. 

Rebekka Ruétz Show a colorful, fun collection that makes us look forward for the Fall Winter season. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Mercedes Benz started its initiative „She’s Mercedes“ in order to support women, connect them with each other and offer a room to exchange ideas, discuss new perspectives and learn from each other. In order to do so, She’s Mercedes organizes networking events and its own magazine, where women from the Mercedes Benz network offer insight into their path and provide advice. 

Today She’s Mercedes invited Jessie Weiß (Entrepreneur and founder of Journelles), Mandie Bieneck (Co-Founder of Press Factory and founding member of Fashion Council Germany), Guya Merkle (Founder and CEO of Vieri Responsible Jewelry) and Julia Leifert (Founder and Designer of the eponymous fashion label) to talk about one of the most important topics of the fashion industry: Sustainability. 

During her work as a journalist and fashion blogger Jessie Weiß took a step back from having to buy every it-piece she was exposed to. „Now I really enjoy looking at these designs and writing about it, but I don’t need to own every single piece anymore.“ She continued to state, that she is investing in very classic pieces and enjoys wearing the clothes she bought 10 years ago the same way as the few new garments she buys once in a while. 

Julia Leiferts label was founded on the base of sustainability and was not incorporated after its launch. She felt like the fashion industry could not feed her needs regarding sustainability and design which inspired her to found her label. 

Guya Merkle inhereted her familys jewelery company. That was the time she started to dig deeper into how gold is mined and was shocked about the circumstances. She founded the Earth Beat foundation to protect the workers as well as the environment during the process of turning gold into beautiful jewelry. Shortly after she started designing her own designs with her label Vieri Fine Jewelry, where she only uses recycled gold and raw materials in order to be more responsible. Guya accented that the change that everybody preaches sustainability and promise change but the change is does not arrive on the ground where the people are still exploited in order to maximize profit. 

Made Bieneck, who is one of the founding members of Fashion Council Germany and Co-Founder of Press Factory, and has worked for ages in the fashion industry. She adresses the responsibility lies likewise in the society as well as the politics. A bigger change needs to happen instead of empty promises from marketing offices.

The most important learning was that designs that are made by exceptional craftsmanship need to be appreciated and worshipped again. Most people don’t realize the worth of their clothing anymore and how much time and effort goes into making these garments. Also there needs to be more education about under which circumstances designs are made. The current consume is simply wrong. Wearing a garment just three times is the norm nowadays and needs to change rapidly. Investing into classic staples and opting for sustainable designs would be the first big step into a better future. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Danny Reinke Backstage Looks 

Express your emotions. Danny Reinkes’ “Devils Delight“ collection for this Fall/Winter season is an expression of letting go of all negative feelings. It shows sadness, anger, and disappointment. Emotions everyone can sympathise with, especially during the last months. 

Danny Reinke wants us to take off the mask. We are used to hiding our negative emotions all the time, but he invites us to celebrate them as much as we do our positive feelings. With his new collection, the designer asks us to show our true selves and allow our emotions to be delivered and felt. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer

Express your emotions. Danny Reinkes’ “Devils Delight“ collection for this Fall/Winter season is an expression of letting go of all negative feelings. It shows sadness, anger, and disappointment. Emotions everyone can sympathise with, especially during the last months. 

Danny Reinke wants us to take off the mask. We are used to hiding our negative emotions all the time, but he invites us to celebrate them as much as we do our positive feelings. With his new collection, the designer asks us to show our true selves and allow our emotions to be delivered and felt. 

With natural makeup and a sleek bun, Danny Reinke wants the clothes to be in the spotlight. We saw a lot of knits, boucle, pin stripes and leather in forms of pants, boots and gloves. The collection was a mix of cool business attire, sophisticated punk rock and 80s office looks. 

There were different Jacquard prints that gave off a dark romantic vibe with floral patterns. Danny Reinke transformed them into mini dresses with voluminous, draped shoulders and suits with a loose silhouette. Another suit came in a plaid look, short pants and a 80s inspired shape. 

Highlight of the collection were three volant looks. Different versions of voluminous tulle pieces were sent down the runway with matching head pieces. Ultimate showstopper and closing look was the purple version, a mini dress with huge portions of Tull around the shoulder, sleeves and the mini skirt. 

For more updates from this seasons MBFW Berlin follow mbfw.berlin on Instagram.

Words by Lea Egerer