lala Berlin Fall/Winter 2021 Collection

Sweetest Taboo

"Sweetest Taboo" celebrates freedom to create your own world of expression and style. It's a fiery clash of casual and glam. This is a collection that deeply understands the zeitgeist. With 90s grunge as our driving force, nothing was off limits. We've blurred the lines between extravagant and understated, and we've done in a way that is totally authentic to Iala Berlin. It's loud, it's fierce, and above all, it's uncomplicated." - Leyla Piedayesh, Founder & Creative Director.

"Sweetest Taboo" is a conceptual clash of in-your-face style and casual comfort. This Fall/Winter 21 collection combines unapologetic edge with uncompromising comfort. These pieces were created in the wake of our first lockdown - fashion was not a priority, the world became casual, and comfort was king. Yet the desire to glam up, even if just for ourselves, was greater than ever. With this collection we freed ourselves of the rules of fashion to create pieces that represent the times. Times when business deals are made over zoom, celebrations are limited to a handful of people in our homes and international travel has become all but impossible. The world has become casual. But our need for self-expression is unrelenting.

We looked to casual and unapologetic style icons of the past and became transfixed by key figures from 90s grunge. With a playful approach to fashion, like pairing your grandma's fur coat with jeans and a t-shirt; taking a debutante gown and turning it into a mini dress with kitchen scissors; tearing apart your wardrobe and stitching it back together to create something new; "Sweetest Taboo" was born.

The first drop is dominated by the contrast of tonal colorways and eclectic prints, expressed through beige leopard patchwork and abstract blue/green floral prints. The leopard print is a common thread throughout the first drop and appears in soft silk devoré, jacquard wool and dazzling sequins. A grunge fashion classic: the flannel shirt is reinterpreted as a décolleté blouse and short shirt dress in black and white kufiya embroidery on transparent leo print, finished with statement lace collars.

The silhouettes throughout are flowing, feminine and easy-to-wear, broken only by soft tailoring in the form of Glencheck blazers with natural stretch. Ultra-feminine details like large flounces, detachable lace collars and wide balloon sleeves contrast with the boy-cut silhouettes of biker jackets in gray stonewashed denim and olive-green oversized coats in boiled wool and bermudas in vegan leather. The knitwear in the collection features the finest natural materials such as cashmere, mohair and wool. Brought to life with brushed jacquard patterns and distressed leopard print as oversized cardigans and unisex v-neck sweaters.

In the second drop, variations of fire red and midnight blue set the tone, which come to life as a glamorous sequin kimono and feminine cache coeur dresses, and blouses in winter blossom print with lace hems. A black and red checked wool coat studded with striking eyelet detailing, a reversible oversized coat with hand-embroidered fringes, and boyfriend blazer with black recycled leather fringes on the back revive the spirit of 90s grunge.

The accessories and bag line harmonize with the patterns and colors of the ready-to-wear collection. In addition to colorful reinterpretations of Iala Berlin classic printed canvas and cross-stitch embroidery, two new groups in vegan leather join the collection. New additions are tote bags and crossbody models in suede-look earthy tones such as camel, olive green and cognac brown and a group of classic bag designs in burgundy red and black made of filled PlJ5 as well as two crossbody models with black fringes made of recycled leather giving the looks definitive edge.

Like forbidden fruit, this collection is oh-so-sweet, yet bad to the bone.

The collection will be available from July 2021 in the Iala Berlin flagship store and online at www.lalaberlin.com and at selected retailers.

Read more about lala Berlin on the brandpage: fashionunited.com/companies/lala-berlin.