Berlin Rising: Designers Who Defined Berlin Fashion Week SS26

CLARA COLETTE MIRAMON – CARE

Clara Colette Miramon’s show Care opened this year’s Berlin Spring/Summer Fashion Week. The collection explores care work — often carried out quietly, frequently overlooked, yet fundamentally essential.

“I started with the theme of hospitals and nurses from the 1960s. For me, that’s a metaphor for the emotional and physical labor women perform — in relationships, in their families, and to keep society running.”

A recurring motif in the collection is the spine, interpreted in multiple ways. The designer’s love of corsetry is clearly reflected in the use of orthopedic corsets, extensive lacing, and scoliosis braces.

“I find it super interesting to play with body shapes. I don’t think they symbolize oppression anymore. The woman I want to portray is very empowered — and part of that empowerment is being able to shape your body however you want.”

The show took place directly on Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße, right in front of the Volksbühne. Set against an installation of Pilates reformers and hospital beds, and featuring choreography by Franka Marlene Forth, the presentation offered a range of looks — from functional to strikingly poetic.

“The location made it possible to do a public show. Normally, our capacity is much smaller. I just think it’s really nice to be able to do this and help democratize Fashion Week a bit.”

LAURA GERTE – DESIRE/CHAOS

In her latest collection, Laura Gerte delivers a striking exploration of the dualities that define contemporary womanhood: pleasure and rage, decay and beauty, confidence and vulnerability.

“For me, these words perfectly describe what I call the feminine experience — living our lives in a constant state of emotional contrast, often shaped by the world around us. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but one that echoes throughout history.”

Known for her transformative designs that blend sustainability with bold self-expression, Gerte continues her investigation of empowered femininity through tactile contrasts and symbolic detail. Drawing inspiration from vanitas paintings, 17th-century dress, and 1970s punk, her collection is both emotionally resonant and visually daring.

Constructed from upcycled, recycled, and deadstock materials, the silhouettes shift between fluidity and constraint — a future-punk aesthetic grounded in emotional honesty. “While upcycling remains at the heart of my work, this season we explored new sustainable materials to bring the collection to life,” Gerte explains. “We used recycled and partially vegetable-dyed mesh from Italy, which allowed us to create ephemeral draping, alongside rigid toile canvas for an abstract interpretation of corsetry.”

Silk florals appear to bloom and wilt across distressed jerseys and sheer mesh. Corset-inspired canvas pieces are paired with raw edges, thick piping, and smocked silks — forming a visual and emotional metaphor for femininity as both armor and intimacy.

Creation, Gerte admits, is not always easy: “This season was especially challenging and filled with doubt — but that allowed me to unlock a deeper layer in my work. Being able to channel and transform that pain feels incredibly affirming.”

MILK OF LIME – CHIME 

Milk of Lime returned to Berlin Fashion Week after winning this season’s Berlin Contemporary contest, presenting a poetically dark and romantic SS26 collection titled Chime. In their third runway show, Belgo-German design duo Julia Ballardt and Nico Verhaegen explored dreamlike themes with folkloric undertones — referencing birds, botany, and the quiet transformation of coming of age in rural spaces. Refined tailoring met raw edges, while elongated, floating silhouettes set an ethereal tone.

The brand remains deeply rooted in Germany’s rural southwest — and intentionally so. “Sometimes it’s more inspiring to work with what you have than to have everything at your disposal and end up doing nothing,” the designers say. This deliberate distance from fashion capitals allows Milk of Lime to stay true to its ethos: slow craft, local production, and the sincere use of natural materials.

“Fashion can be such a bubble, so it’s nice when no one cares and you’re just the weirdo in town doing these things,” as Nico Verhaegen puts it.

Throughout the lineup, fine silver bells subtly chimed — appearing as daisy-chain necklaces, field-picked bouquets, embroidered handbags, and cascading knotted tops — giving the collection both a visual and sonic identity. The interplay of sound and silhouette built steadily throughout the show, heightened by ambient background noise and the raw texture of the active construction site where it was staged. The result was a fully immersive experience: tactile, atmospheric, and emotionally resonant.

RICHERT BEIL – MILIEUSCHUTZ

With Milieuschutz, Richert Beil offers a thoughtful meditation on change, memory, and responsibility. Presented in their new Kreuzberg studio — a former 135-year-old pharmacy — the collection balances grounded precision with romantic poetry. Sharp tailoring remains a core element, softened by rose intarsia knits, handmade lace, and lingerie-inspired details. Traditional Tracht elements are reimagined in latex, while uniform silhouettes anchor the collection in cultural continuity.

But Milieuschutz is more than just aesthetics — it’s a manifesto. Borrowing its name from the German term for neighborhood protection laws, it becomes a metaphor for defending values and craftsmanship in an industry driven by speed and content. Richert Beil resists that pace with garments that carry weight, history, and care. In doing so, they remind us that fashion can still be about meaning — about holding space for slowness, process, and the quiet persistence of personal vision.

SIA ARNIKA – SUMMER TIME SADNESS

Sia Arnika’s latest collection, Summer Time Sadness, draws on nostalgic, personal memories of an endless summer feeling. The show is deliberately a little messy, carrying a lingering sense of misfit — but all of it is intentional.

The garments cling to the body like sweat, and the fabrics feel as if they have already lived through a summer. Satin, sheer mesh, soft pleats, and fishnets evoke the nostalgic intensity of long summer nights — moments that always feel especially vivid once they’ve passed. The youthful urge to escape childhood and grow up is reflected in colorful pieces combined with shrunken silhouettes.

All of this is set against a minimal yet harsh backdrop — an asphalt floor in a vast space lit by fluorescent lights. This contrast heightens the feeling of misfit and strangeness, making the clothing all the more desirable.

TIMBERLAND® x BALLETSHOFER – DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN DEPARTURE

At Berlin Tempelhof, BALLETSHOFER’s DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN DEPARTURE reimagined travelwear as a statement of intention. At the heart of the collection was the latest evolution of the brand’s collaboration with Timberland. What began with the tailored 3-Eye Authentic Boat Shoe in 2024 and progressed with last season’s elevated Moc Toe now arrives at its next refined chapter: a handcrafted Boat Shoe Mule in premium black leather, finished with BALLETSHOFER’s signature layered tongue in deep blue.

This shoe was more than a functional accessory — it embodied the collection’s ethos: classic construction, modern spirit, and movement with purpose. The garments mirrored this language. Sharp wool suiting, parachute-volume trench coats, and hybrid tracksuits fused tradition with innovation. BALLETSHOFER and Timberland are not just revisiting icons — they are shaping a vision where craftsmanship meets clarity.

In a culture defined by ease, this was a reminder: move with intention.

MARIE LUEDER – SLⱯY


Marie Lueder presented her S/S 26 collection SLⱯY during Intervention by Reference Studios, merging fashion, theatre, and myth. Inspired by the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, the collection reimagines the tale as a meditation on transformation and vulnerability. The dragon becomes a metaphor for power structures and internal fears, while the hero’s triumph comes not through violence, but through softness and change.

Tailoring is infused with symbolism: twisted jersey shields, talismanic fastenings, scorched textures, and armour-like silhouettes blur the line between protection and expression. Collaborations with Dye House Tintoria Emiliana, artist Eben Weile Kjaer, and movement and sound direction by Oscar Khan deepen the narrative. Custom UGG footwear, styling by Tati Cotliar, and a cast of actors and artists underscore the show’s hybrid, performative nature.

SLⱯY doesn’t offer resolution, but rather reflection — on what we fight, what protects us, and what we must shed in order to evolve.

DAVID KOMA – I LOVE DAVID

David Koma’s I LOVE DAVID is both a declaration and an exploration — a meditation on iconography, introspection, and modern masculinity. Presented during Intervention by Reference Studios, the collection unfolds as a triptych of references: the celebrity magnetism of David Beckham, the sculptural ideal of Michelangelo’s David, and the designer himself.

Low-rise distressed denim and shearling-lined leather outerwear nod to paparazzi-era bravado, while rhinestoned T-shirts riff on tabloid culture with winking self-awareness. Classical silhouettes are reimagined through draped tees and lace aprons, transforming the male body into a baroque canvas.

Koma’s signature tailoring returns, this time embellished with sequins, plexi discs, and hibiscus blooms rendered in couture-grade embroidery. Garters, belts, and brooches blur the line between utility and ornamentation.

One striking detail: flip-flops styled throughout, collapsing the boundary between polish and play, elegance and ease. Now in its third menswear season, the Koma man emerges more nuanced than ever — playful yet poised, tender yet self-assured.

HADERLUMP – EXLIBRIS

With Exlibris, Haderlump transformed the Haus der Visionäre into the opening page of a new narrative — a collection that treats clothing as personal emblems. Instead of chasing fleeting trends, this season focuses on lasting presence.

Sharp-shouldered jackets, laced blouses, and fluid skirts shape silhouettes that balance strength with quiet softness. Coarse linen, aged leather, and muted tones evoke the tactile charm of weathered books, while collaborations with Liebeskind and Caia Cosmetics bring the idea of individual authorship into the present.

Exlibris stands for garments that feel intentional, personal, and built to endure.

GMBH – IMITATION OF LIFE

With Imitation of Life, GmbH unveils its new SS26 collection at Berlin Fashion Week — a deeply personal tribute that pieces together fragments of childhood and family ties. Rather than surrendering to moral collapse or violence, the collection stands as a quiet act of survival — of holding onto tenderness amid the ruins.

Contrasting elements — sharp, uniform cuts paired with flowing, unrestrained silhouettes — blur the line between constraint and softness, creating looks that feel like small declarations of hope in restless times.

It’s a collection that reflects the process of working and living through a period marked by the most abject forms of horror and collapse — and the attempt to emerge on the other side.

SF1OG – SS26

With SS26, SF1OG ventures deep into the hidden corners of romance. On an abandoned construction site in West Berlin, creative director Rosa Dahl staged a collection that drifts between fragile longing and raw unraveling.

The fierce rush of teenage yearning collides with delicate craftsmanship, indie echoes, and subtle nods to the early 2000s. Lace, corsetry, and leather blend into silhouettes that feel both exposed and defiant — a tender rebellion clad in sharp seams and whispered memories.

OTTOLINGER – HEIDI

Heidi is your cooler, older sister. Ottolinger presents its Pre-Resort ’26 collection as part of Reference Studios’ intervention — marking a return to their hometown, Berlin, after several seasons in Paris. This is an ode to the kind of woman who’s lived fully, loved too hard, fallen harder, and learned how to rise without losing her softness. A rule-breaker, so you wouldn’t have to be afraid of breaking the rules yourself. She’s wild, wise, and impossible to pin down. If anyone embodied that energy, it was definitely Kim Petras strutting down the runway as the show’s opener.

Heidi represents what it means to lead with sisterhood. She shows you that strength doesn’t need to shout, that tenderness can be invincible, and that independence is a practice, not a performance. She’ll lend you the good jacket, the insight, the lip gloss — and teach you how to land when you fall.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence. Soft and sharp. Gentle and untouchable. This is womanhood.

COLRS – JUMPING FENCES

COLRS returns to Berlin Fashion Week with its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, presented as part of the NEWEST by Nowadays program. The show captures a moment of raw, romantic rebellion — inspired by teenage abandon, the thrill of crossing boundaries, and the feeling of freedom on hot summer days, both literal and emotional.

Hazy nostalgia and vintage Americana infuse the collection with the spirit of a sun-soaked, reckless summer: half-worn bleached denim and sun-faded textures, beat-up Vans, laughter in the heat, military canvas, and silkscreened motifs — all set to the sound of João Gilberto playing softly on a stereo.

GERRIT JACOB – GAME OVER 

Gerrit Jacob’s Collection 07, GAME OVER, confronts the brutal economics of creative survival. The myth of endless inspiration has vanished; what remains is burnout, disillusionment, and a fierce will to keep going. Money — not as power, but as pressure — becomes the collection’s central motif: distorted prints of 500-euro notes, 20-pound bills, and 5-dollar denominations bleed across denim, leather, and jersey. Wealth is no longer an aspiration — it’s exhaustion made visible.

Presented as a film installation in collaboration with director Simon Kounovsky and featuring a haunting voiceover by Coucou Chloe, GAME OVER blurs the line between beauty and breakdown. UV-lit, scattered with fake money and burnt-out avatars, the space becomes a dystopian stage.

In a world where value is fiction, Gerrit Jacob reminds us: creation is resistance.

IOANNES – BETTER GROW THORNS THAN THICKER SKIN

Ioannes’ latest collection, Better Grow Thorns Than Thicker Skin, explores how people often grow numb in times of uncertainty, leading to a loss of sensitivity. Founder and designer Johannes Boehl Cronau advocates for boundaries that remain reactive and alive, rather than shutting down. As he puts it, “The collection is born out of that paradox: how to stay soft and strong at once.”

Presented in the Orangerie of Schloss Charlottenburg, the show was set against a breathtaking backdrop inspired by the moment between dinner and party — half-finished glasses left behind, evoking the feeling that a celebration is just about to begin.

After studying in Paris and London and achieving international success — even winning over global stars — Johannes Boehl Cronau has returned to Berlin, and we’re thrilled to welcome him as part of Berlin Fashion Week.

“For a long time, I felt I had to prove myself abroad — to find the right context for what I do. But Berlin has changed, and so have I. There’s a new openness in the city, a readiness to host fashion in a more experimental and emotionally intelligent way — one that’s accessible to the wider industry, not just the microcosm of fashion students and local enthusiasts.”

NETZWERK – DESIRE PATH

For their debut runway show, the collective netzwerk invited guests from fashion, art, architecture, music, and design on a day trip to San Gimignano Lichtenberg — two brutalist towers by bplus.xyz / Brandlhuber+, flanking a green hill transformed into an otherworldly runway.

Netzwerk champions ethical production and contemporary slowness, offering made-to-order garments crafted from natural materials in collaboration with a regional network of artisans. Designed by Lotti Defant and Paulina Meyle, with support from Fiona Gohrke and Moritz Alte, the collection draws inspiration from archival outdoor gear predating synthetic fabrics, reimagined for modern life through intricate cuts and functional layering.

Sixteen looks moved deliberately across a rugged, parkour-like landscape — a tension-filled set created by Anton Defant and Ansgar Kellner. As dusk fell, the scene was enveloped in a haunting soundscape of storms and classical echoes, composed by Anton & Jakob Defant and Joshua Böke.

This subtle yet radical departure from traditional runway formats signals a compelling new voice in fashion — and we’re eager to see where netzwerk goes next.

All Image Courtesy of the Mentioned Brands