A special edition of The German Times for the city without walls Over the past century, this northern borough has been a getaway spot, a communist stronghold, the core of West Berlin’s French sector, a sanctuary for immigrants, an artists’ hub and always its own city within the city. People from over 165 countries live here today – those who have always called it home and those who’ve just arrived. Gritty, not glitzy, Wedding is never a bore. pages 4–5 Wedding Bling-Bling ANNETTE HAUSCHILD/OSTKREUZ BERLIN TIMES 1929 IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE EVER IN THE MAKING SYMPHONY OF A METROPOLIS Jason Lutes knew next to nothing Union Berlin is the club of under- Berlin remains a startup hotspot. Berlin’s Young Euro Classic youth about the German capital in the dogs. This year the team is playing It’s a magnet for young companies orchestra festival celebrates its Weimar era upon deciding to write shockingly well and could win and aspiring individuals. Why? 20th anniversary. The participants and draw his epic graphic novel promotion to the fancy Bundesliga. Because Berlin is still unfinished as are on their way to becoming about the city. Read the making-of, So, what do the fans chant? an economic space – a place to tomorrow’s stars, and some have written by the artist himself. page 3 “Shit, we’re moving up.” page 6 make a name for yourself. page 7 already made it big. page 8 Capital look Coolness is the Berlin fashion scene’s biggest asset with a heavy dose of good-natured Fewer shows, less hype. In other lobby.” Bär’s tip to fashion industry young Berlin labels that have Ins- Instagram accounts to promote the BY JULIA HACKOBER pride. They see themselves as words, after its first semi-successful representatives is to spotlight them- tagram to thank for their success: entire range of Berlin-based fashion obliged to give the Berlin fashion iteration, Berlin Fashion Week is selves more effectively and take even Jeanne de Kroon, founder of Zazi offerings while staying true to the n the eve of Berlin Fash- scene all the journalistic support starting over again from scratch. better advantage of the opportuni- Vintage, has her upscale hippie ideas behind “support your local ion Week, a group of they can, all the while nervously The question now occupying the ties provided by digitalization. dresses sewn by women in NGO dealer.“ Obloggers, journalists and watching the evolution of Berlin fashion cosmos is: What, if anything, To be sure, Instagram has com- projects in such places as Uzbeki- The closely networked Insta- Berlin celebrities have gathered at Fashion Week, which was launched remains? We know what Berlin fash- pletely transformed the fashion stan, India and Afghanistan; Marke gram scene has produced a regular Colette, the brasserie run by star in 2007 and has taken place twice ion is capable of, but how do we get industry in recent years, with direct- GmbH (German for: brand) – yes, stream of viral fashion hypes that chef Tim Raue. They were invited a year since. In the beginning, the the word out to the rest of the world to-consumer communications that’s the firm’s name – made the now shapes the external perception by Vreni Frost, one of Berlin’s event was jazzed up and promoted without any noteworthy, large-scale already becoming an integral part leap to the prêt-à-porter shows in of the “Berlin Look.” Such phenom- first and foremost fashion blog- as a veritable alternative to the big fashion event to speak of? How can of many labels’ business strategy. Paris with its underground aesthetic; ena take their inspiration from the gers. There’s bœuf bourguignon shows in London, Milan and New Berlin assert its position as a fash- Especially for small companies, this the jewelry designer Lilian von city’s vibe, that is, a way of life that and nougat mousse, and it just so York. But it never achieved the suc- ion capital? These questions revolve opens up entirely new opportuni- Trapp brought her sustainable gold continues to make Berlin a place so happens that Sahra Wagenknecht cess it was intended to have, espe- not only around how many Fashion ties, because they can attract a highly jewelry to actress Emma Watson via many people want to be a part of and Oskar Lafontaine – a power- cially as its dates in January and July Week parties and cocktail recep- fashion-conscious community with- the internet; the founders of Wald thanks to its club culture, the intel- house left-wing couple and two almost always overlap with the cou- tions have to be canceled; the issue out having to invest in expensive Berlin rescued pearl jewelry from lectual bohème, the clash of milieus of Germany’s most famous politi- ture shows in Paris and other impor- is a far more existential one: How to exhibition stands or pay rent for a its old-fashioned reputation; and the and mentalities – all of which, taken cal personalities – are sitting at tant international fashion fairs. It draw the attention of international boutique. grande dame of the Berlin fashion together, inspire the fashion scene. the next table. And, as so often was pure folly to expect those key buyers, those department stores and The Berlin shoe brand Aeyde, scene, Leyla Piedayesh, led her label Issues such as sustainability and fair is the case when fashion profes- guests – buyers for large depart- boutiques in London, Paris and Sin- for example, orchestrated its suc- Lala Berlin to international splendor production are also on the minds of sionals gather among themselves, ment stores – to make an extra trip gapore, to German brands? cess story on the internet. The with the help of 100,000 Instagram many labels. Plus, Berliner style is what would in any other setting to Berlin to catch a glimpse of a few Fashion Council Germany – a company was founded in 2015 by followers. never limited to be an innocent question – “So, are junior labels and C celebrities. lobbying body populated by various Luisa Krogmann and Constantin Capital city fashion brands also just being you all looking forward to Fash- These days, Fashion Week Berlin industry players (editors-in-chief Langholz-Baikousis, two industry find digital support in Berlin’s lively ion Week?” – ends up triggering comes to us in a more modest form. and economic associations) that veterans who learned their craft at blogger network. Women like Vreni an hours-long debate. Basically, the most important trade also supports select labels through the largest German fashion startup, Frost (neverever.me), Jessica Weiß Of course, everyone is looking fairs, such as the Premium, Pan- elaborate funding programs – hopes Zalando. Leveraging digitalization to (journelles.com), Lisa Banhol- forward to Fashion Week. For the orama and Seek, are garnered with to gain assistance from policymak- scale their company from the start, zer and Tanja Trutschnig 2 on page continued most part, at least. After all, a whole additional shows and events last- ers. The Fashion Council’s oft- they first built a functioning online (bloggerbazaar.com) new and refined designer scene ing only three days. Gone are the repeated mantra is that “fashion shop and then worked on Instagram use their web- has established itself over the past days of the pumped-up celebrity must finally be acknowledged as a with major fashion influencers like sites and several years in Berlin. It’s a scene hype associated with the tent at cultural and economic asset in Ger- Camille Charrière and Lucy Wil- shaped by young people adept at the Brandenburg Gate, which was many.” liams. After that, the doors to those drawing attention to their work abandoned after the event’s main Fortunately, the Fashion Council highly competitive sales areas in through good ideas and idiosyn- sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, withdrew has found in Dorothee Bär, State major European concept cratic imagery, which is essential in in 2018. Organizers have experi- Minister for Digitalization, a con- stores opened up auto- the age of Instagram. William Fan, mented with different concepts tact within the government willing matically. for example, has long since been a and key show locations, such as the to commit to the fashion industry. In fact, there darling of the fashion press for his Eisstadion Wedding (a skating rink) In fact, last year she even invited a are many casual collections that function as and an unused department store delegation from the Berlin fashion something between workwear and in Mitte, only to discard them for scene to visit the federal chancellery, couture. Fan almost always stages something new. Even the “Berliner where Angela Merkel just happened his shows as a form of conceptual Salon,” a group exhibition held at to stop by. In January 2019, Bär also art, setting up runways in such the Kronzprinzenpalais Unter den held a pep-talk at a roundtable dis- varied locations as a Chinese res- Linden, where young, unknown cussion organized by the Fashion taurant or a Zen garden. Among the designers were able to show their Council and Icon magazine where other designers who made the leap collections to the trade press and she assured listeners that support- from young talent to major player buyers, has now been dissolved; the ing the fashion industry was indeed on the fashion scene are Marina founders of that exhibition, German one of the federal government’s Hoermanseder, Malaikaraiss (see Vogue editor in chief Christiane Arp priorities – even if the act of asso- picture), Rianna+Nina and Dawid and event manager Marcus Kurz, ciating with fashion lobbyists was MALAIKARAISS Tomaszewski.