The 5 best shows of Berlin Fashion Week

The more time passes, the more Copenhagen and Berlin become the most interesting incubators for fashion and independent creatives. Each city has its own vibe: more functional and minimal, though not without a certain punk roughness, for Copenhagen; more underground and experimental for Berlin, where the strong influence of local clubbing culture is evident, along with a range of underground sensibilities that have brought distinctly youthful collections to the runway, far from bourgeois—unlike what is seen every season in the Big Four, where fashion’s commercial framework stifles the slightly rebellious creativity of young designers. This season, Berlin was full of great talent—and we have selected the five shows that impressed us the most. Whether for their concept, the wearability of clothes we’d want to wear straight from the runway, or a spark in execution, all five were among the most remarkable in a week filled with exciting names whose freshness and creative freedom would also be a breath of fresh air for Milan and Paris.

Here are the 5 best shows from Berlin Fashion Week FW25.

1. GmbH

Serhat Işık and Benjamin Huseby are perhaps the two most internationally renowned designers in the Berlin lineup who, after presenting in Paris for a few seasons, have successfully returned to the German fashion scene, where their creations feel more at home. Berlin is indeed the perfect context for GmbH, which this season, while maintaining its signature dropped shoulder in some looks, shifted towards a world of fetish tailoring (tapping into a trend that has been gaining traction in recent weeks), where classic suit trousers were paired with leather thigh-high boots or even layered under a long coat à la Patrick Bateman, beneath which appeared a second, equally long leather coat. Using their approach to make power suiting more androgynous, some jacket lapels turned into hoods, and long leather tunics were worn over classic shirts and ties. The result was an extremely wearable collection, whose conciseness suggested not just great confidence but also a crystal-clear vision.

2. Balletshofer

Balletshofer, the surname of founder Alan Balletschofer, is a small and independent brand doing fascinating work on the concept of the uniform. By attempting to merge the classic gray suit in its many variations with younger, more modern silhouettes, using suiting wool to create what is essentially an “elevated” tracksuit, Balletschofer shines for his creative restraint, hammering home the same concept without ever repeating it, using a minimal color palette and defining a precise, modern silhouette—so “everyday” that during the show, models walked holding coffee cups, newspapers, or even hurriedly talking on their phones.

3. SF10G

Founded by Rosa Marga Dahl and named after the studio apartment where Dahl, still a student, created her brand (structured with three lines, much like Maison Margiela), SF10G presented its best collection yet at one of Berlin’s most prestigious underground temples, Berghain. The collection was a love letter to early 2000s indie rock, recreating its raw, glam, and nonchalant aesthetic with a distinct contemporary twist. The design inspirations were clear, yet the pieces never felt derivative. A delightful homage to the Indie Sleaze era was the collection’s shutter-style sunglasses, created in collaboration with Newformat and 3D-printed. With Converse sneakers, low-rise jeans, black parade jackets, and glimpses of bare, tattooed midriffs, Dahl delivered one of the sexiest collections of Berlin Fashion Week.

4. Clara Colette Miramon

Staying in the nocturnal realm but swapping wild raves for a far more decadent nightclub, Clara Colette Miramon created a collection inspired by religion, titled "Maria hat geholfen" (German for “Mary has helped”). Mixing references to maternity, satin dress necklines embroidered like Gothic buttresses, darkly romantic corsets, and the occasional off-shoulder top, Miramon’s show was a wonderfully dark fantasy within the Berlin lineup. The designer’s touch was slightly heavier on (a few) more immediately modern pieces, especially the puffer jackets, which were too functional to maintain the Gothic atmosphere she was evoking. However, overall, her collection showcased a strong sense of storytelling and a thematic approach to design, something missing from many contemporary womenswear shows.

5. Haderlump

This season, Johann Ehrhardt took over an entire train depot, the S-Bahn Berlin Werk Schöneweide, to present a collection where dramatic tailoring, infused with an undeniable sense of modernity, came to life through textures, washes, dyes, and a masterful play on proportions. Historical theatrical tailoring (think extra-long coats tied at the waist to become flowing evening gowns, alien-esque frock coats with asymmetrical hoods, and deconstructed evening dresses) blended seamlessly with another half of the collection, which featured incredibly modern pieces with an intriguing distressed effect.