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As if in the flash of a strobe, the Berlin label GmbH was suddenly on the dance floor of the Paris men’s fashion week, was nominated for awards and gained popularity, especially among a young, alternative target group. But how did it come about and how does such a dry abbreviation as GmbH – for limited liability company – fit as a name for a hip label whose founders are now turning the traditional Trussardi fashion house inside out? FashionUnited took a close look at the label.
Who is behind GmbH?
Contrary to the mystery surrounding Belgian designer Martin Margiela, the faces behind the fashion label are well known. GmbH was founded in Berlin in 2016 by designer Serhat Işık and photographer Benjamin Alexander Huseby.
The duo, who make their debut as creative directors of Trussardi at Milan Fashion Week next Saturday, don’t want to be the center of attention at their own label. GmbH sees itself as a collective, which is why this name was chosen and not that of the founders. “The GmbH is so neutral that it can mean everything and nothing at the same time,” Huseby told fashion magazine Dazed in 2016.
The team collects influences from the techno scene and workwear. The label plays with gender norms and silhouettes: in a collection like the one for SS22, male models wear both androgynous looks with fleece and off-the-shoulder, floor-length denim coats, as well as simpler combinations of cowboy shirt and leather trousers in shades of brown. Meanwhile, the contrast of strikingly flared shoulders and fluffy collars was the focus last season. All in all, the label has a recognizable design language, but it still surprises again and again. With this, GmbH also appeals to a broad target group – from the fashionista who wears a black dress with a leg slit to the streetwear fan in a fleece pullover with wild patterns.
GmbH does not commit itself to specific genders, despite the presentation during the men’s fashion week. This is not only reflected in the models but also in the range. The online shop offers almost the same selection of products for men and women. T-shirts cost around 150 euros, sweaters start at around 270 euros and a parka in cooperation with Jack Wolfskin had an original price of 899.95 euros.
Diversity and political references also play an important role in inspiration and are part of identity. In August, a cooperation with the queer Palestinian fashion label Trashy Clothing was established to make a political statement. GmbH hoped to be able to contribute with the pieces of the collaboration "to increase the visibility of the Palestinian freedom struggle and to support organizations working in the region,” according to a statement in August. So the label doesn’t shy away from taking a political stand.
But personal experiences as children of immigrants in Europe are also among the influences of the label. Işık has Turkish-German roots and Huseby Norwegian-Pakistani.
From the first collection to demi couture
The collective’s first collection was made entirely from recycled materials. With the expansion of the collection, however, 90 percent of the collection should still be organic, recycled, upcycled, biodegradable or deadstock, writes GmbH on Linkedin.
In the Fall-Winter 2017/2018 season, the first collection was unveiled at Paris Men’s Fashion Week. The collection entitled "When A Thought Becomes You" combines outerwear in the form of refurbished Helly Hansen jackets, workwear and the vibe of Berlin’s club scene. Since then, GmbH – physical or digital – has been an integral part of the Parisian menswear calendar.
Last year, the label presented next to Paris at the Berlin Fashion Week. It was present at Highsnobiety magazine’s ‘Berlin, Berlin’ events and Reference Studios’ Reference Festival. GmbH presented its fall 21 collection – inspired by Rainer Fassbinder’s film ‘Welt am Draht’ – digitally at the Reference Festival and in Paris. Another highlight of the collection was the integration of demi-couture pieces in the form of tailored jackets and coats that customers could order directly from the brand. The fall 2021 collection was then followed by the first pre-collection for winter 2021, which was also inspired by the work of the German filmmaker.
Sporty and adventurous collaborations
Exciting pieces are also created in cooperation with other brands, into which GmbH skilfully incorporates its DNA. This includes, among other things, the recurring cooperation with Asics. GmbH has already released several sneakers with the Japanese sporting goods manufacturer – including the Gel-Nandi 360 and Gel-Quantum 360 6 models.
However, a very special collaboration with Asics was presented as part of the Fall/Winter 2020 collection. This is the shoe model Asics x GmbH Gel-Chappals – a mixture of sports shoe and traditional South Asian chappal. The Chappal, which can also be found in the GmbH range without the sporty version with Asics, is inspired by the construction of a traditional Peshawari Chappal, a type of Pakistani sandal.
In addition, in November there was a collab with the somewhat dormant outerwear brand Jack Wolfskin, which is currently trying to change its image. “A collaboration between outdoor pioneer Jack Wolfskin and Berlin-based fashion brand GmbH may not seem like the most obvious combination at first glance, but both brands share some fundamental values: sustainability and tradition,” they said in a joint statement in November. The cooperation, which combines Jack Wolfskin technology with the style of GmbH and offers everything that is needed for an outdoor excursion, definitely gives the outerwear brand a trend bonus.
New ways
The next step is the complete creative direction and reorientation of Trussardi. The fashion house, which was founded in 1911 by Dante Trussardi as a manufacturer of leather gloves in Bergamo, is trying to redefine itself like Jack Wolfskin. The starting signal was given by the private equity company Quattro R, which has held a majority stake in the label since 2019. First in October 2020, the new managing director Sebastian Suhl came into the company, who restructured the management, and then in May it became known that Huseby and Işık should modernize the label.
In keeping with the 111th anniversary, Trussardi’s greyhound logo has been given a new circular look, and there is also a lot going on in the social networks in the days leading up to the two’s first fashion show: video animations show how the Trussardi lettering on a stone blossoms and thrives and the new logo is formed from water molecules. These 3D animations can of course stand for the rebirth of the label, but also for a more sustainable approach, which plays an important role at GmbH. What we can really expect from the first collection remains to be seen until Saturday.