Words by Lea Schaub FASHION POSITIONS 2026: Where Independent Fashion Takes Shape From September 10 to 13, FASHION POSITIONS returns to Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport as part of POSITIONS Berlin Art Fair. Now in its eighth edition, the exhibition brings together 22 independent fashion labels that approach clothing not simply as a product, but as a form of artistic expression and social dialogue. Words by Lea Schaub Founded in 2019 by designer Mira von der Osten and gallerist and art fair organiser Kristian Jarmuschek, FASHION POSITIONS was created to give independent designers a platform beyond conventional commercial and runway formats. This year, curators Diandra Donecker and Dao Tran have once again selected a diverse group of labels whose work moves between experimental materials, craftsmanship, personal narratives and social questions. Rather than organising the exhibition around stylistic categories, their selection focuses on the originality and attitude behind each position. The exhibition format places the designers and their work at the centre of the space. Rather than presenting collections through traditional runway shows, FASHION POSITIONS presents them as spatial works, textile objects and creative statements, allowing visitors to encounter the ideas, materials and processes behind them directly. The adjacent FASHION POSITIONS SHOP also offers selected works for purchase, creating a direct connection between the exhibition and the independent designers it presents. This year’s programme expands that dialogue beyond the garments themselves. As part of the Mental Health in Fashion campaign founded by Florian Müller, artist Claudia Malecka presents „One person. One voice.“, a photographic series dedicated to people working within the fashion industry. Their individual voices and experiences take centre stage, addressing mental health as an essential part of creating a more sustainable and humane fashion culture. In this sense, FASHION POSITIONS 2026 looks not only at what fashion can be, but at the people, perspectives and social realities that shape it. Across four days at Tempelhof, independent fashion becomes a space where art, design, craftsmanship and personal experience meet. Participating Labels 2026 Bodach Carolin Dieler CRUBA × Uli Aigner Elodie Carstensen Esther Perbandt Human Touch Impari Isabella Rudzki × Sasha Kramer Lilian Brade Lithium Oak Maqu Marie-Louise Müller × Ute Faber Maximilian Gedra Nicole Kiesel Plaid-à-Porter Selva Huygens Stefan Uhr Tutia Schaad Uraomote V_Collective Vreni Jäckle YCCIJ × Juliana Maurer Read Next The Artist Is Not Present Anymore – or is she? Seen by Fräulein #37 JA, QUA, BORIAS
