Berlin Fashion Week is experiencing a renaissance. After the departure of the sponsor Mercedes Benz, the German Fashion Council took over management in 2022. The Council's mission is to raise the profile of Berlin Fashion Week in the industry, which is facilitated by an investment of more than 4 million euros from the Department of Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises of the Berlin Senate.

The event demonstrated an increase in popularity among foreign guests. This season has seen a significant surge in attendance from the press and buyers from outside Germany.

The challenge for the future is to help brands scale and reach a global audience.

Many guests noted the progress compared to last season:Improved brand selection, more interesting collections, new formats and an international audience. There were buyers from British stores Browns, End and Machine-A, Portuguese Wrong Weather, Parisian concept store Elevastor, as well as such Influential figures in the fashion world like Vogue's Mark Holgate and renowned talent scout Sarah Sozzani.

The next step should be to redirect attention to sales and help new labels establish a sustainable and profitable business.

Berlin's fashion industry currently has more than 5,000 companies and almost 26,000 employees, generating a turnover of about 5 billion euros.

"For a long time, Berlin Fashion Week has been about parties, big sponsors and gift bags. We are done with this," says Michael Biel, Secretary of State for the Department of Economics, Energy and State Enterprises.

Berlin is bustling with life, the economy is developing, and this attracts designers. Internationalization is a key goal for every economic department in Berlin, and Fashion Week plays a central role in it.

Urban programs such as Berlin Contemporary include grants of 25,000 euros to 18 designers, and Studio2Retail grants of 5,000 euros to establish communication between designers and buyers, while Newest is engaged in financing shows, and Neo.Fashion supports graduates of various design schools – all these are examples of how Berlin helps new brands.

«Thanks to the support of the Senate, everything has changed: the audience has become different, and interest in the event has grown. It feels like the authorities really want Berlin Fashion Week to be a success," says Sia Arnica, a Berlin designer, after her show.

SIA ARNIKA SS 2025

The display of the Berlin brand Haderlump at the historic Tempelhof airport has become a real hit.

"We draw inspiration from what makes Berlin special: techno music, cool places, daring style. Haderlump is a reflection of the city, and it resonates," says Julius Weissenborn, co—founder and CEO of Haderlump. Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany, notes that Berlin Fashion Week is gaining momentum.

"Positive feedback attracts new participants. Brands are learning about the growing interest in Berlin fashion and want to become part of this movement. GmbH, Ottolinger are just some of the names that we would like to see on the podium in the future," Lipinski says.

Haderlump Spring/Summer 2025 – AERO

Namilia brand, whose SS25 collection is inspired by the glitz, glamour and dark side of paparazzi work and Y2K celebrity culture, has traditionally focused on direct sales to consumers (DTC). However, according to co-founder Nan Li, the number of wholesale customers has more than doubled since February, reaching 20%, thanks to increased attention to the brand after the Berlin show.

"So many stores have contacted us," Lee says, "and we don't even participate in any showroom, we do everything online. It was a real surprise for me."

Lee would like the Fashion Council to expand its Berlin Contemporary showroom to better meet the needs of wholesale customers, for example by providing them with sales representatives and samples. "At a recent dinner, people asked us if we had a showroom and said they would like to see things live," he says.

This season, Namilia collaborated with Ed Hardy on their exhibition materials. Together, they raise the topic of merciless criticism, which has become even more widespread these days due to the availability of fame on social networks. The show was divided into three parts: the first is dedicated to the virgin theme, the second to the archetype of the dumb blonde, and the third to the decline in popularity.

Namilia SS 2025

Franca Sozzani, creative director of Fondazione Sozzani, talent scout for Vogue Italia and international ambassador of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, noted the significant progress of Berlin Fashion Week since her last visit eight years ago.

At the same time, she offered several recommendations to increase the international coverage of the event. Sozzani believes that inviting designers from other countries or representatives of other fashion weeks to participate in the shows will increase engagement and draw attention to Berlin Fashion Week. She also stressed that the event already attracts a large number of international guests, and the German fashion scene is multicultural in itself.

Nevertheless, Sozzani is confident that organizing events with representatives from outside Germany will make Berlin Fashion Week even more attractive to an international audience.

Intervention, a showcase for the promotion of Berlin's fashion talents, organized by the Reference Studios agency, was a resounding success.

This year, such stars as GmbH, Shane Oliver's Anonymous Club and Yeezy Gap graduate Marie Luder shone on the podium Intervention.

Moomi Hayati, founder of Reference Studios, positions Intervention as "international Berlin", providing a platform for designers with a vibrant style, a deep understanding of the zeitgeist, a connection with Berlin culture and international potential.

Hayati carefully oversees the line-up of participants, inviting talented and promising designers who set the tone for the Berlin fashion scene.

"These designers are the heart and soul of Berlin," says Hayati. "They are paving the way and having important conversations. I am proud that we have brought them together, representing different generations and trends."

Intervention not only shows collections, but also creates conditions for the development of designers, providing them with international recognition.

Hayati's goal is to make Intervention a platform that fuels Berlin's fashion talent and brings it to the world stage.

Lueder SS25

The show Lueder, which attracted the attention of buyers, the press and fashion insiders, opened with a performance by a vape artist creating smoky circles. It was followed by a collection inspired by alchemical processes (the designer always draws inspiration from medieval armor).

Reference Studios, in addition to Intervention, held a multi-brand exhibition Mall of the Anonymous and a showcase of German talents Reference Forum, again attracting international attention.

"We need such people and agencies with international connections to bring people to Berlin and bring Berlin brands to the global market, and Reference Studios are doing an excellent job of this task," says the State Secretary of the Department of Economics, Michael Biel.

"This is the first step towards creating demand," says Hayati. The next step is to make it relevant for real business."

Of course, Berlin Fashion Week has the potential to expand its international influence, given the growing interest in German fashion and strong support from the government, but one cannot exclude the unique atmosphere that distinguishes it from other fashion weeks. This atmosphere is more relaxed and experimental, which attracts many designers and buyers.

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