The winners of the concept competition for Berlin Fashion Week in July 2023 have been announced. Two specialist juries, made up of renowned industry experts, awarded a total of 23 prize winners from 102 submissions.
In the “Berlin Contemporary” (fashion shows) category, 18 winners will receive prize money of EUR 25,000, including four Ukrainian designers. At “STUDIO2RETAIL” (studio/atelier events), five concepts were each awarded 5,000 euros.
The competition, funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and implemented by the Fashion Council Germany, aims to put Berlin in the spotlight of the international trade public as a central location for fashion and to offer design excellence a stage. The award-winning concepts from “Berlin Contemporary” impressed with their innovation and outstanding design achievements and act as representatives of the German fashion landscape, especially in international comparison. The “STUDIO2RETAIL” winners convinced with holistic event concepts that aim to make fashion tangible for interested end consumers away from the catwalk.
Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in Berlin: “Congratulations to all award winners! Thanks to the creativity, inventiveness and the necessary amount of courage of people who have dedicated themselves to fashion design, Berlin has become a fixture in the fashion world. It’s great to see how the young designers of our city shape an innovative German fashion industry and give it international appeal. The state of Berlin is supporting this development by sponsoring the Fashion Week. This year we are once again sending a clear signal of solidarity with Ukraine: I am particularly pleased about the participation of Ukrainian designers who are presenting their imaginative collections.”
Out of 77 applications, a total of 18 concepts with their extraordinary design achievements in terms of their collections, a distinctive brand identity and outstanding approaches in their corporate philosophies and event concepts were convincing at “Berlin Contemporary”. In addition to 14 German brands, four Ukrainian labels again received awards, which will be continued this season as a sign of ongoing solidarity with Ukraine.
The 14 German winners are: Acceptance Letter Studio, Esther Perbandt, Fassbender, Haderlump Atelier Berlin, LML Studio, Milk of Lime, Namilia, ODEEH, Olivia Ballard, RIANNA + NINA, Richert Beil, Sia Arnika, SF1OG and William Fan. The four Ukrainian brands are Bobkova, Litkovska, DZHUS and PODYH. They were selected on the basis of their meaningful collections in the past but also on the basis of their ideas and mood boards for the upcoming designs and their presentation concepts. As BERLIN CONTEMPORARY, they represent the diversity of Berlin as a city and offer a mix of established labels and up-and-coming new designers. While you read well-known names from the first edition of the competition, which already convinced in January, you can also discover newcomers such as Haderlump Atelier Berlin, Milk of Lime, Richert Beil and PODYH, which give hope for exciting presentations.
“The Berlin Fashion Week was realigned in a unique way in the last edition, now it will continue in July with great presentation formats. The “Berlin Contemporary” format offers us the unique opportunity to promote up-and-coming talent and also to support them financially for a presentation as part of Berlin Fashion Week. Both young and established designers are given the opportunity to present their creations to a national and international specialist audience,” says Scott Lipinski, CEO of the Fashion Council Germany.
In the “STUDIO2RETAIL” category, five concepts were awarded 5,000 euros each, which design extraordinary store and studio events and focus on the key topics of sustainability, diversity and innovation. These are intended to attract as broad an audience as possible, as well as to enable the exchange between fashion designers and interested guests. The five winners PLATTE Berlin, Lou de Bètoly, GATE194, Christian Wijnants – Berlin Store and Natascha von Hirschhausen impressed above all with their focus on end consumers and presented events in their concepts that make the Berlin Fashion Week accessible to everyone and at the same time offer opportunities for sustainable shopping by supporting labels outside the mass market. The submissions were particularly convincing due to their professional concepts, which promise successful and well-attended events during the fashion week.
Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany, is looking forward to the edition in July: “The German fashion industry has undergone a change in recent years, which I can feel particularly during the Berlin Fashion Week. It is exciting to see how young designers are shaping the industry, stimulating a rethink in business and society, and thus strengthening the visionary power of German fashion in Berlin.”
Judges:
Berlin Contemporary:
Adriano Sack (WELT am Sonntag / Head of Department Style & Travel), Christiane Arp (Fashion Council Germany / Chairwoman), Dilys Williams (Centre for Sustainable Fashion / Director), Johanna Dramé (Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Businesses), Mark Hogarth (Harris Tweed Hebrides / Creative Director), Scott Lipinski (Fashion Council Germany / CEO), Simone Heift (The KaDeWe Group / Group Buying Director), Thibaud Guyonnet (VOO STORE / Head of Buying).
STUDIO2RETAIL:
Donella Darthuizen (Otto / Vice President Fashion, Sports & Beauty), Herbert Hofmann (Highsnobiety / Creative & Buying Director), Johanna Dramé (Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Businesses), Julian Daynov (Trend Scout & Fashion Consultant), Nina Trippel (CeeCee / Founder), Scott Lipinski (Fashion Council Germany / CEO), Stefan Sauerbrey (TIP Berlin / Fashion Editor).