Bold colours return to Berlin catwalks (News Feature)

By Helen Maguire Jan 21, 2011, 16:37 GMT

Berlin - Bright, bold colours were the dominant theme amongst the layers of chiffon, patent leather outfits, playful sparkles and block heels gracing the catwalks at the Berlin Fashion Show, which completed its third day on Friday.

Twice annually, the four-day event draws established German designers to Berlin alongside up-and-coming labels from across the continent. On top of this, the Bread and Butter street wear industry show capitalizes on the city's reputation as being young, creative and cheeky.

On Friday, German designer Anja Gockel sent British model Lily Cole down the catwalk to celebrate her label's 15th birthday, dressed in her trademark outfits combining dramatic flair with seductive silks.

Lala Berlin, the brainchild of Iranian-born Leyla Piedayesh, featured combinations in yellow and beige, alongside dizzying black-and-neon prints reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's artwork.

German label Schumacher ventured away from its trademark neutral shades with glaring retro dresses in orange and red, a striking azure blue trouser suit and purple floral hems.

Other labels were discussed less for their clothes and more for the shock value of their catwalk shows. Belgium's A.F. Vandevorst styled models with their hair cascading as a veil across their faces.

German designer Patrick Mohr, known for his risque shows, again won the contest for outlandish looks by gluing shut his models' mouths.

For all the colour and clamour, both on and off the catwalk, Berlin has to contend every year with scornful remarks that the city is simply not Paris, London or Milan.

This year, Spiegel news magazine published a derisive article stating that Berlin had failed in its attempt to become a fashion metropolis.

The city's mayor Klaus Wowereit insisted that such a comparison missed the point, as Berlin was a magnet for young designers as well as the market in urban and street wear. 'For this reason there is no need for us to be hassled by such a comparison.'

Berlin is also a stepping stone for eastern European designers. This year brought a team of Romanian designers, as well as new Georgian brand Maicco, to the attention of magazine editors and fashion scouts.

Big names in Berlin included Hugo by Hugo Boss, attended by British actress Tilda Swinton and racing driver Lewis Hamilton at Berlin's New National Gallery, where all outfits were strictly mono- or two-tone.

Escada Sport presented a dressed-down range of everyday wear, moving away from its brash 1980s power-dressed glamour to offer soft, feminine materials with a snow-kissed touch of romance, offset by an industrial setting dominated by scaffolding.

Escada has been in the spotlight after the insolvent German fashion house was bought last year by Megha Mittal, the daughter of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. The new collection allayed fears that the label was little more than a hobby for the 34-year-old mother-of-two.

For those exhausted by hours of glamour, camera flashes and stiletto heels, Berlin's fashion tsar and former Adidas designer Michael Michalsky was due to unveil his latest creation on Saturday, at the Catwalk Bar.

Bar stools bearing the names of stars such as Claudia (Schiffer) and Karl (Lagerfeld) will offer rest for tired legs, and of course the waiters will be dressed in Michalsky designs. Whether new trends are set here remains to be seen.

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