.HBC Couture - Designer Scouts II

Originally determined to skip Berlin Fashion Week as a whole (courtesy of the blazing heat that Berlin seems to be blessed with these days), only the Designer Scouts event at .HBC could lure me out of my air-conditioned appartment, dressed to the nines and ready for four hours of fashion, music, drinks and good conversation.

Here's the short film of the shows which I shot and edited:

(click here for higher resolution and better quality)

*For more photos of the event, check out the official Designer Scouts website. You might also be interested in my post on the previous show which took place in January.

Michalsky, Lala Berlin and Kaviar Gauche

Fashion Week the 3rd: Friday's Michalsky Style Nite was yet another event which took place outside the Mercedes-Benz tent on Bebelplatz. While Michalsky, Kaviar Gauche and Lala Berlin ranked among the most-hyped shows at the MBBFW in June, this season the three labels deliberately dissociated themselves and pooled together for a breathtaking showcase in the Friedrichstadtpalast.

Naturally, the choice of location allowed for a very extravagant and elaborate runway setup. Impressive audio installations and light effects topped off the spectacle. However, it seems as though Michalsky's futuristic catwalk and the 'human disco ball'-performance preluding Kaviar Gauche's show outshone the actual fashion designs that were presented. Sensory stimulus en masse or just a massive overkill? You decide.

(click on 'HD off' for a better view)

.(images via welt.de and Vogue.com)
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.HBC Designer Scouts

Berlin Fashion Week is about much more than just the big white tent on Bebelplatz. In fact, a lot of its charm lies in alternative off-site events, like the .HBC Couture: Designer Scouts runway project.
On Thursday night, the art space/party venue was jam-packed with an eclectic and terribly fashionable crowd of artists, hipsters, journalists and fashion-lovers. In between the three sets of shows, one could enjoy a free drink or two (spotted: unknown woman stashing numerous bottles of Becks beer in her handbag) or mill around and get acquainted with the other guests, which included the likes of Katja Hentschel, Jan Joswig and nearly every fashion blogger I can think of. Amongst the designers who presented their work were Starstyling, JuliaandBend, von Bardonitz, Don't Shoot the Messengers and A.D.Deertz.

As soon as the last model had stepped off the runway, the doors of the former Hungarian culture institute also opened themselves for the general public: party tiiime! I had the pleasure of meeting Gerlinde from Vienna and Julia Stelzner, both journalists and hobby-bloggers themselves. My personal highlight of the evening: getting photographed for an American fashion magazine's "Berlin Streetstyle" story. To top it all off, this morning I discovered a shot of myself and my 80ies-style silver blouse on LesMads, my all-time favourite blog! Oh, what a night...

A couple of shots straight from the runway (yay for front-row seating!):

Sverige i Berlin

After three consecutive days of roaming the snowy streets of Berlin, visiting showrooms, gallery openings, fashion shows and after-show parties, I have found a little bit of time to reboot and recapitulate the hustle and bustle of Berlin Fashion Week.

On the agenda for Day 1: a series of shows at the Showfloor Berlin, themed "eco chic" and exclusively featuring Swedish designers. As with rock music, children's books and cheap furniture, the Swedish are pioneers in eco-friendly and 'sustainable' fashion design. Although I only managed to stay for the first two shows of the night - Matilda Wendelboe and Righteous Fashion - I was pleasantly surprised by what was presented on the runways. Wendelboe and the Malmö-based designer duo behind Righteous Fashion proved that fairtrade and eco-friendly does not have to equal bland cotton dresses or back-to-Woodstock hippie chic.

4 minutes

The following short film was created by students of the Institute of Fashion and Textile Design at the University of the Arts Berlin. It features original designs by students of the university and doubles as an homage to a newly emerging medium: the 'fashion film'. In my humble opinion, this production is a highly aesthetic blend of visual and audio stimuli. Chapeau!

Throughout Berlin Fashion Week, "4 Minutes" will be screened in the Galeries Lafayette (Friedrichstraße 76-78, 10117 Berlin).

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Coming Up: Berlin Fashion Week

Come January 20th, the city of Berlin will once again be swarmed by international media, designers, models, celebrities and of course, fashion bloggers. Thaaat's right, it's Berlin Fashion Week!

Unless your name is on the A-list or you know how to crash like Selma Fonseca, scoring an invite to the shows and/or after-parties may prove to be somewhat difficult. But do not resort to your couch to eat Ben&Jerry's and sulk all week long... at least not yet. This is Berlin, after all!

Various cultural establishments are hosting events and parties open to the public that will definitely be worth checking out. During the last Berlin Fashion Week in June 2009, my friends and I managed to see an assortment of shows, hang out in the Campari Design Loft at Alexanderplatz (open bar, anyone?) and visit the showrooms at the Adlon Hotel. Needless to say, nights out that week were more than just a little crazy ;)

Here's your chance to soak up a little Fashion Week-atmosphere for yourself... I proudly present:

The La Berlina guide to Fashion Week for non-invitees


Opening Party & Showrooms by ProjektGALERIE
Throughout Fashion Week, the ProjektGALLERIE Berlin is once again hosting a variety of showrooms. Stop by on January 19 for the Vernissage and booklaunch ("My Fashion Diary" by Marc Schumann) or to indulge in a little nightshopping (until 1am). The showrooms are open January 20 - 23, 11:ooh - 20:ooh and will represent the Autumn/Winter 2010 collections of 30 international designers. Located @ HOF96/ Lucas Carrieri Art Gallery. Torstrasse 96, 10119 Berlin.

Edgy Hairfashion meets urban Fashion Wear
Up-and-coming photographers Emir Eralp and Miguel Villalobos have collaborated with stylists from "Sebastian Professional" in a series of shoots. The result is admirable and can be viewed in the Fashion Lounge Café at Collegium Hungaricum. January 20, 10:00h - 19:00h (Fashion Lounge Party on January 21, 18:ooh - 24:00h). Dorotheenstraße 12, 10117 Berlin.

Comme Ci, Comme Ca: Designer Scouts After Show Party
While the actual runway show is invitation-only, anybody that can dazzle the bouncers is invited to attend the after-show party at the .HBC. Just like most parties that go down at said gallery, this event promises to be legen... wait for it... dary! January 21, doors: 23:00h. Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 9, 10179 Berlin.

Fashion in Film: Fashion Week Cinema
2009 was probably the year of fashion-inspired movie releases. I'm thinking The September Issues, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton and Brüno... although I'm not too sure whether the latter actually qualifies. Either way, there's a plethora of amazing movies that revolve around fashion, art and aestheticism. Hollywood productions, documentaries, short films - you name it, the F.C. Magnet is screening it! January 20 - 24, first film of the day usually starts at around 17:00h. Check the online program for more information. Veteranenstraße 26, 10119 Berlin.

Closing Party by ProjektGALERIE
Why must all good things come to an end? While I certainly do not know the answer to that question, I can assure you that the closing party on January 23 at ProjektGALERIE will end Fashion Week with a BANG! The event is co-hosted by the Blind Date Swingers Club (a monthly mix cd exchange) and the .HBC, where it will be taking place. Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for a number of live acts that will blow your mind! Doors at 22:ooh, entrance is €8. Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 9, 10179 Berlin.