Berlin Fashion Week starts with menswear

The catwalk was officially opened with the runway show from menswear label So Popular on Tuesday morning, marking the start of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin. During the high summer temperatures, Daniel Blechmann shows his collection named 'The Last March before Victory' in a tent at the Brandenburg Gate. The designer tapped RJ Mitte, best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad as one of the models.

Blechmann design principle remains rather strict and he presented almost a materialistic repertoire that was mainly characterized by athletic wear and military influence, enriched with asymmetric structures and lacing. Fragile filament nets gave much of the collection a decidedly artistic nature and his use of color, which was limited to black, white and olive was his usual aesthetic restraint.

The show itself made the audience hungry for more, in particular hungry for more interesting menswear which is traditionally strongly represented on the opening day of fashion week in Berlin. Another male menswear label which presented a very different collection on Tuesday was Brachmann. Under the slogan 'Post Classical Menswear' designer Jennifer Brachmann showcased what is known as the classic male wardrobe in a very new and subtle manner. The designs had a downright delicate lightness to them, which made them very suitable for the hot outdoor temperatures.

Tuesday also marked the start of Berlin's fashion trade fairs, with Panorama, Show & Order and Bread & Butter opening their doors on Tuesday, followed by Premium, Seek, Bright and the new denim fair Selvedge Run on Wednesday.

Original by Jan Schroder, translated and edited by Vivian Hendriksz